Switched
by razzentino
Summary: Ritsu discovers that there's more than meets the eye about her past. How will she cope? Her only salvation is Mio, who's been by her side since they were young. But first, Ritsu has to face her insecurities. Mitsu, slight fluff, slightly AU-ish.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Notes: This is dedicated to Ritsu's birthday. And yes, characters might seem a little OOC, but I really like this close friendship Mio&Ritsu share, especially when they're alone. :3  
>DISCLAIMER: K-ON!(!) belongs to Kakifly. <em>

* * *

><p>Chapter 1.<p>

A tawny haired girl stopped walking. Just as predicted, the footsteps behind her abruptly halted. When she turned around, she realized she was the only one on the street.

Ritsu shivered, rubbing the goose bumps on her arms. She was sure of her hypothesis.

She was being followed.

Since morning, Ritsu had felt someone had been watching her every move.

At first, she had thought it was just her imagination, or maybe even a prank.

Ritsu resumed walking, trying to act as casual as possible. She could distinctively feel another presence loom nearby. A foreign but familiar pair of footsteps echoed after hers. Biting her lower lip nervously, she recalled how she had heard the same repeated footsteps since she left home.

Unnerved but inquisitive, Ritsu decided to end the chase. Firstly, however, she had to get out of their sight.

Ritsu ducked into a public restroom, briefly wondering if her stalker would follow her in. Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate that it was empty, she couldn't decide.

The footsteps had paused. It seemed that the owner of them preferred to stay out of sight and wait for her outside instead.

Stroking her chin thoughtfully, Ritsu wondered what she should do. A bucket filled with dirty water up to its rim with a mop sticking out by the sink made a mischievous idea spark.

Grinning evilly, Ritsu looked up at the roofless ceiling. This restroom was new, and still under construction, thus missing the ceiling.

Perfect.

Scrambling into a cubicle, she recklessly climbed on the closed toilet seat cover and peeked over the wall.

A man in dark shades and an expensive looking suit was suspiciously loitering outside, at the corner of the small building, with his back against the wall. He seemed careful of his distance, and was tapping his foot impatiently, occasionally glancing at his watch and the entrance of the restroom.

Ritsu beamed happily. Grabbing the mop and the bucket, she dragged them into the furthest cubicle in the corner, estimating that the man should be exactly right over the wall.

Climbing on a different the toilet seat this time, she grunted as she lifted the heavy bucket. Positioning the bucket right over the man's head, she smirked mercilessly and tilted its contents.

The man yelped in surprise when he felt cold water splash upon him.

Ritsu leaped off the toilet bowl and sprinted out of the small building, with the dripping wet mop in hand.

When the man realized that she had noticed him, he tried to flee.

But his efforts were in vain as Ritsu had expected that and came prepared. Flinging the wet mop as hard a she could, javelin style, she aimed for the soaked man's retreating back.

She grinned victoriously when the mop hit her target, causing the man to lose his balance. He flailed his arms wildly before crashing down, face first.

_Ouch. _Ritsu winced a little at the fall. Grabbing the mop off the ground, she cautiously approached the man. Using the end of the mop, she rolled the groaning man over and poked his cheek.

"Oi, mister. Why are you following me?"

The man grimaced and rubbed his forehead. He didn't reply.

"Don't ignore me!" She started jabbing the man's chest with the mop.

The man finally responded. "Ugh... You sure are a daredevil, kid."

"Who _are _you?" Ritsu demanded.

The man fell silent again, as if thinking of what he should say. Finally deciding on a safe answer, he mumbled, "Keep this up, and you're going to be late to Sakuragaoka."

"Huh?"

"You heard me."

A distant bell chimed, as if to prove his point.

"Damnit!" Ritsu glanced at the direction of her school, and back at the man on the ground again. Deciding that he wasn't worth getting detention, she ran off but not before giving a warning.

She waggled her index finger. "Remember this, mister-whoever-you-are, you won't wanna mess with _Tainaka Ritsu_."

* * *

><p>Arms crossed, a raven haired girl tapped her fingers impatiently. When a panting Ritsu finally came jogging into her view, she demanded, "What took you so long!"<p>

Ritsu slowed to a halt as she reached Mio and hunched downwards, palms on her thighs as she tried to suck in as much oxygen as she could. "Something came up," she huffed.

"What did?"

Deciding that she had recovered from her little break, Ritsu grabbed her friend's hand, and dragged Mio forward. "Long story, come on!"

A sudden disturbing question almost made Ritsu trip while she was running.

_How did the man know which school she goes to?_

* * *

><p>Ritsu sighed, exhausted. Her day had started really strangely, which caused Mio and her to miss the bell and late for school. Her attempt to sneak into class unnoticed had failed miserably when Yui unintentionally gave them away.<p>

Then the day got weirder when she felt _multiple _presences watching her.

Hopefully it was just her imagination, she's probably just paranoid from the first encounter.

Twisting the knob of the front door of her house as she kicked off her shoes, she called out, "I'm... Back?"

Her auburn eyes widened at the chaotic scene in front of her.

"Lies!" her mother raged, her back facing Ritsu. "Get out of my sight!"

"...Mom?" she asked uncertainly, wondering if she was at the right house.

"Ritsu!" Her flustered mother whirled around, her hands waving around agitatedly. "You're back! How long have you been standing there..?" Her words trailed off nervously.

Her confused auburn eyes glanced at her father, who was pacing around in endless circles, hands clasped behind his back.

Ritsu recognized that action immediately. That was one of the traits she had inherited from her father, and would do the same when stressed.

"What's up, mom?"

When she finally realised that her parents weren't alone, Ritsu's jaw dropped. "You-!"

It was the same man from this morning.

Except he was dry this time. Ritsu smiled to herself, feeling accomplished.

He nodded curtly. "I didn't introduce myself last time. I'm the lawyer of the Wakaoujis. I've been asked to send you home."

"I won't allow that." Her mother stated firmly, hands on her hips. "Wait, you two have met before?"

"Ah yeah, he-" When their words finally sank in, she instantly lost interest in explaining how she had met him and demanded instead, "Wait, send me home..? But I _am _home."

The lawyer shook his head. "I'm afraid you have no choice, madam, but to comply-"

"I don't have to comply anything."

"But she doesn't belong here-"

"You have no proof."

Ritsu watched the heated argument continue, frustrated that both sides refused to answer her.

"But _I do_, madam. In fact, I have the documents right here-"

"Documents smocuments. I'm not going to let you take her because of some puny paper."

The man sighed irritably, clearly exasperated from being interrupted every mid sentence.

"You understand that what happened was an accident, madam. She's not supposed to-"

"I've raised her since she was born!"

"What the hell is going on?" Ritsu exploded impatiently, hoping to finally get some answers.

Everyone cringed at the sound of her voice; and an awkward silence followed.

The man opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again when Ritsu's mother shot a deadly glare at him.

Ritsu turned to her mother impatiently. "Mom?"

Her mother twitched uncomfortably at Ritsu's attention. The poor lady looked quite at a loss of words herself, and just stared at her toes.

"Dad?" Pleadingly, this time.

He stopped pacing, and smiled sadly at his daughter while shaking his head.

Ritsu nodded mutely, at a loss.

The lawyer frowned sympathetically, ignoring the mother shooting looks that could kill and tried to hint Ritsu of the situation.

"Kid, I'm afraid you've been with the wrong family all this time."

"What?" Ritsu felt an incoming headache coming on.

"You keep your lies to yourself," Ritsu's mother spat.

Ritsu finally understood why her mother was so vicious. Since young, she had learnt that her mother would easily become defensive and refuse to accept the truth she doesn't want to hear.

"Listen lady, your daughter deserves to know the truth-"

"I don't have to listen to_ any_ of your crap," she hissed. "And my daughter deserves a family who _loves _her."

The man flinched a little, and tried to hide his discomfort by straightening his black tie. "Madam, it's not my place to-"

"Get your documents and your ass _out _of my house."

Ritsu watched as her mother literally pushed the man out their front door. Never has she seen her mother so hostile in all the sixteen years of her life.

The front door slammed shut, and she could hear her mother yelling at the man to never come back.

Chaos. Her thoughts were racing so fast, yet her mind was blank at the same time, refusing to take any information in. She just wanted to get_ away_.

The first person that came to her mind:

_Mio._

Ritsu ran up the stairs, and into her room, stuffing extra clothes into her school bag. She slammed her door shut and sped past her mother, who was standing next to the front door. Yelling out in a falsely cheerful voice, "GonnagoseeMioI'llbebackseeyoulaterbye!"

"Wait, Ritsu!"

But tawny haired girl didn't want to stick around. Yanking the front door open, Ritsu came face to face with the man, who refused to leave.

Instinctively, she ducked under his outstretched hand that was about to knock on the door and sprinted away madly.

She didn't look back.

The lawyer broke into a chase after her.

"Don't you dare touch her."

There was a menacing tone in the voice of Ritsu's father, even though the man himself was expressionless.

The man in the suit jerked to a stop, deciding that it probably wouldn't be the wisest move to chase after Ritsu.

"I would say it's a pleasure to meet you, but..." His words trailed off. "Have a nice day." Ritsu's father bowed stiffly before retreating into the house and shutting the door softly after him.

Ritsu's mother glanced at her husband, anxiety etched on her face. "Shouldn't we go after her?"

Breaking into a half hearted smile, he tried to hide his worry and spoke as confidently as he could. "Give her some time. Besides, she's with Mio... She'll be alright."

Wrapping his arm around his wife's waist, he pulled her into a gentle embrace. "She'll be alright," he repeated, softer than before.

But this time, doubt had crept into his words.

* * *

><p>Wheezing slightly, Ritsu slowed to a jog once she recognized Mio's street.<p>

Ritsu didn't understand why she ran. She didn't know what triggered her to make her run off at the first place.

Mentally chiding herself for letting her impulses take over and over exaggerating, she convinced herself it was probably a misunderstanding.

Or was it?

Although it wasn't direct, the words that her mother had been trying to deny so badly... It wasn't hard to piece the hints together.

_'She doesn't belong here...'_

The flashback made her stop abruptly and clench her fists.

Since young, she had always wondered if she was adopted.

Ever since she could speak, little inquisitive Ritsu had constantly bombarded her parents with questions, such as why she was the only one in the family with tawny coloured hair.

They seemed unsure of where she got her traits too, as neither parents had the same hair colour. But in the end, both her parents had reassured her that she got the features from her grandparents.

Looking back now, her grandparents' hair colour seem _a tone off _from hers.

_'I'm the lawyer of the Wakaoujis. I've been asked to send you home.'_

Home? Then she couldn't possibly be an orphan.

_'You understand that what happened was an accident, madam. She's not supposed to-'__  
><em>_'I raised her since she was born!'_

An accident? Was _she_ the accident? Ritsu felt sick to the stomach. Was that the reason why her mother had been so defensive?

Is she a product of a spontaneous one night stand?

Ritsu was disgusted. No, not at her mother. She would love her mother regardless.

No, Ritsu felt disgusted at _herself_.

_'Kid, I'm afraid you've been with the wrong family all this time.'_

The last sentence made Ritsu felt like the world around her had stopped.

Tainaka Ritsu had never felt so small.

No, she probably wasn't a Tainaka anymore. She smiled vacantly. She couldn't imagine herself with any other surname.

Ritsu shivered involuntarily, and looked down at her hands.

So all this time, she was never who she really was?

Who _is_ she?

Aiming a kick at a small, crumpled empty can by her foot; she missed it and ended up kicking the cemented pathway instead. Wincing at the backlash of the kick and her throbbing toe, she mentally slapped herself. She had to get a grip. Besides, it was unnatural for her to delve in her thoughts too intensely. Forcing herself to take in a deep breath, she looked around and realised that she had overshot her destination by a whole street.

Feeling like an idiot, she grumbled under her breath and spun around. She sighed exhaustedly, deciding this must be the reason why she rarely thought deeply.

Mio's house soon came into sight.

Composing herself, she forced her usual grin to replace her troubled frown and rang the doorbell.

The door opened immediately, much to her surprise.

"Ah, Ritsu." Mio's mother greeted her warmly. "I thought I heard someone outside."

Ritsu smiled. She had visited the Akiyama household countless times, thus considered it her second home.

"Come on in," she stepped aside, inviting Ritsu to enter. "Make yourself at home, hon."

Ritsu playfully saluted her. "Yes madam!"

"Yes, yes." The older woman chuckled in amusement and ruffled Ritsu's hair. "Staying for dinner?"

"Hmm, probably. If it's okay?"

"Of course, sweetheart. We're having sukiyaki tonight."

"Ooh, can I help?"

"I'm sure you didn't come all the way here to help me prepare dinner," the older woman teased. "Mio's in her room," she informed, before shooing Ritsu up the stairs.

The tawny haired girl bounded up the stairs eagerly, two steps at a time.

"Miooooooo!" Slamming the door open, Ritsu dramatically burst into the room. "Tainaka Ritsu is home!" she announced smugly.

Mio sweat dropped, but didn't look up from the book she was reading. She seemed to have expected Ritsu barging into her room. "Can't you ever enter normally?"

"Eh? But that'll be no fun." Ritsu pouted childishly.

"At least I can tell when you're coming."

"How?"

"There's no way you'll surprise anyone by the way you charge up the stairs."

"Spoilsport."

Ritsu plopped down on the bed, next to Mio, feeling at ease and troubles vanish just by having Mio's presence nearby.

Mio rolled her eyes, her attention still fixated on her book. "Says the person who fell _up_ the stairs. "

Ritsu shuddered slightly from the memory. It wasn't exactly her definition of fun. "You gotta live a little!"

"Oh, I intend to. That was my plan from the start."

Realising that her words had backfired, Ritsu decided not to answer and stuck out her tongue.

"So, why'd you suddenly drop by?"

Ritsu paused, but shrugged. "Just bored, I guess."

Mio looked up from the manga and raised an eyebrow. "Really now?"

Ritsu immediately got defensive. "Don't I always come here when I'm bored?"

Mio raised her other eyebrow, and carefully slipped a bookmark in between pages before putting down the book. "And when you're troubled, upset or angry."

"What makes you think I'm any of those?"

"When you're bored, you usually come on short and impulsive visits. However," she nudged towards the bag in Ritsu's hand, "You even packed extra clothes, implying that you had planned to stay the night."

Ritsu just stared at Mio, mouth slightly ajar.

"What!" Mio asked, starting to look a little flustered; wondering if she had said too much.

Ritsu shook her head, smiling. "Nothing. Just thinking of how only you would be able to read me like that."

Mio shrugged nonchalantly. "You're easy to read, especially with your forehead."

"Is that an insult? Hey, don't drag my forehead into this!"

"It's hard not to, especially since it's so big."

Ritsu puffed proudly. "I know you're jealous~"

"Jealous of your _forehead_? Oh please."

Smirking cheerfully, Ritsu countered, "Oh yeah? At least I don't have gigantic hands."

Shooting the shorter girl a glare, Mio grabbed a pillow and smacked Ritsu on the arm.

"Oho, you should know better than to challenge me to a pillow fight, Mio~" Ritsu grinned impishly. "I always win."

"That's because I go easy on you."

"Hah! It's on, like King Kong playing Ping Pong!"

Mio shot her friend a questioningly glance.

Ritsu shrugged her shoulders. "Hey, it rhymed."

"You're weird."

"Being normal's boring."

Mio smacked Ritsu with the pillow again. "You aren't supposed to be proud of that!"

Ritsu lunged for the pillow. Mio has expected this, however, and sidestepped. Ritsu overshot her target, and bounced off the bed before landing on the floor with a grunt.

"You cheated," she accused.

"I didn't do anything!"

"You moved!"

"I have the right to move!"

Ritsu harrumphed and crossed her arms. Suddenly, her eyes widened. Pointing behind Mio's shoulder, Ritsu whispered, "Behind you..."

The dark haired girl froze rigidly at Ritsu's horrified expression. She looked torn between curiosity and fear, as if she couldn't decide if she wanted to see what was behind her.

Her curiosity got better of her, and she turned, ever so slowly.

"...Eh? There's nothing- Ack!"

Mio was tackled abruptly, and pushed facedown.

"I win," Ritsu declared, climbing back on the bed and claiming her throne by siting on Mio's back. Ritsu had balanced her weight onto her knees that were propped by Mio's sides, careful not to apply pressure and crush the girl below. "And I didn't even need a pillow."

Mio let out a groan, muffled by the bed sheets. "I can't believe I fell for that again."

"Too easy, Mio-chuan~"

Mio let out a defeated sigh and decided to just surrender and relaxed on the bed. "Ne, Ritsu."

"Hmm?"

"What happened?"

Pretending not to listen, Ritsu started playing with Mio's hair.

"Soft," she mused, and attempted to braid the dark tresses.

"Hey, don't try to change the subject."

"Mm," Ritsu murmured absentmindedly, absorbed in trying to remember the steps to braid.

"Oi." Mio rolled to the side, to get Ritsu off her back. Sitting up, she reached for a small mirror and delicately touched the slightly messy braid, but a braid nonetheless. "You're getting better."

Ritsu frowned, assessing the final result. "Not there yet, though."

"Last time, you ended up tying my hair in a knot."

"That's cause the instructions you gave me were confusing!"

"Are you trying to blame me now!"

"Maybe~"

"I spent an hour trying to untie it," Mio mumbled grudgingly.

Ritsu scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "Whoops?"

Mio sighed again.

"Ya know, you'll get a wrinkle every time you sigh."

"What! That doesn't even make sense. Where did you hear that from?"

"Can't remember."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Am I becoming too predictable?"

"You always were."

"Nuhh! Okay, what am I thinking of now?"

"Hmm," Mio mused thoughtfully. "Well, I know you're upset over something and trying to avoid bringing it up with me."

Ritsu twitched, before mumbling weakly, "Well, I was actually thinking of the colour grey..."

"Seriously, Ritsu. What's up?"

Attempting to joke to lighten up the situation, she meekly answered, "The ceiling?"

"Harhar."

Ritsu's shoulders dropped in defeat, knowing that her best friend wasn't going to let the matter go until she answered. She looked away, unable to meet the stormy grey eyes. In a distressed and quiet tone, she mumbled, "I don't know, Mio. I don't know."

The sight of her usually cheerful friend confused and pained made Mio regret asking. However, she knew how bottling up painful secrets and grieves were unhealthy. Deciding not to pry until she was ready to tell herself, Mio took Ritsu's hand into hers and squeezed it comfortingly.

Ritsu gave a small smile and squeezed back.

Without warning, Mio plucked Ritsu's headband off.

"Hey! What was that for?"

Mio inspected the headband in her hand. "Is this thing too tight?"

"Eh?"

Mio smiled in amusement. "Nothing." Walking over to her study desk, she grabbed a simple hair tie. "Come here," she ordered firmly, patting the chair.

Obediently, Ritsu did as told.

Seconds of silence was broken when Ritsu protested, "No way!" while staring at the tuft of hair sticking out above her forehead, like a horn.

Mio tilted her head sideways. "Really? I think it looks cute."

"I look like a unicorn!" Ritsu complained.

"You prefer looking like a pineapple?" Mio had already tugged the tie off and was effortlessly tying the usual little ponytail Ritsu preferred. "There."

"…Thanks."

Mio hummed softly. She knew that wasn't the only thing Ritsu was grateful for. "Whenever you're ready, remember: I'm here."

For the first time that day, Ritsu couldn't help but to grin genuinely.

Mio sighed in relief. "You finally smiled."

Ritsu's grin grew wider. "Yeah, you do that to me."

* * *

><p>Mio smiled down at Ritsu, her expression vaguely pained. Ritsu had fallen asleep with her head on the bassist's lap, while Mio had continued reading. She still felt slightly hurt that her childhood friend had chosen not to confide at her troubles with her. Ever since they first met, Ritsu would always speak her mind without faltering. Ritsu's hesitation made Mio feel somewhat uncomfortable. This had to be a serious issue.<p>

_Maybe she's pregnant?_

Mio shook her head frantically, embarrassed at her own thoughts. Deciding not to think too much, she closed her book shut. Gently, she eased Ritsu's head upwards before substituting her lap with a pillow. Ritsu let out a soft unhappy whine at the sudden movement, but didn't awake.

The dark haired girl smiled at the cute sight and watched Ritsu snuggle closer against the pillow. She walked over to the table and started tidying up stacks of books and magazines that the tawny haired girl had used to drum on. Mio knew that whenever her friend was upset or stressed, which rarely happened, Ritsu would unconsciously release steam by drumming to her heart's content. Correction: Ritsu would unconsciously bash up the drums until her arms were too tired to continue.

Mio frowned as she recalled Ritsu smashing the piles of books mercilessly with her drumsticks, with her eyebrows scrunched up in concentration. Her index finger lingered on the inwards dent in the centre of the topmost hardcover book. She sighed, too exhausted to go downstairs and drag the spare futon all the way back up.

Switching the light off, Mio carefully felt her way to the bed. The soft shimmering light of the full moon flowed through the open window, providing enough luminosity for her to distinct the shapes and shadows around her. When she reached the bed, she gently tugged Ritsu's hair tie off, releasing her tawny bangs to cascade over her forehead freely.

Ritsu had fallen asleep on the edge of the bed, so Mio had to crawl over the sleeping figure cautiously to get to the other side of the bed which was against the wall.

Once comfortable, Mio ensured that both were tucked warmly under the blanket before leaning over to Ritsu and ruffling her soft tawny locks affectionately.

"Sweet dreams."


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Notes: A rather serious chapter. Updates take a little longer as I have exams now, and another major one afterwards (but since when has that ever stopped me?). A big thank you to all those that took time to review! It's nice to know what the people reading think._

_Oh, and I might have overdone it with the line breaks. :/ But it's vital to show the timeline. So.. Enjoy? :)_

_DISCLAIMER: K-ON belongs to Kakifly._

* * *

><p>Chapter 2<p>

"Morning~!"

Mio grunted unhappily at the sound of the familiar cheery voice and tried to block it out by squishing her pillow against her ears.

The voice persisted. "C'mon, sleeping beauty, wakey wakey."

Mio pulled the covers over her head and mumbled an intelligible reply.

Ritsu yanked the covers off the half asleep girl. "Rise and shine, princess~"

"Ngh." Mio shielded her eyes from the sunlight streaming through the window. Trying to start a conversation to show she was awake, she asked, "How long have you been awake?"

"Hmm, about more than an hour."

"What time does school start?"

"In an hour and a half."

"Go away." Mio jerked the covers back over her head, her words slightly muffled. "I can at least have an extra half an hour of sleep!"

"But sleeping's boring!"

"Go away."

"C'mon, miss grumpy. I've already helped your mom prepare breakfast."

"I can never understand how you can wake up so early," Mio grumbled.

Ritsu flashed a peace sign, grinning victoriously.

"Okay okay, I'm awake. I'll change. You can go down and eat first."

Ritsu gave her friend a skeptical glance, but Mio had pushed the tawny haired girl out of her room and slammed the door shut.

With her ear against the cold hollow wood of the door, she heard Ritsu stomp down the stairs. After a few seconds, Mio decided that the coast was clear and dove back into the bed.

However, before she could even close her eyes, the door reopened. Ritsu stood by the doorway, arms crossed with a huge smirk on her face. "Knew it."

Mio groaned in defeat.

* * *

><p>Finally awake, Mio had just finished changing when a deafening rock song started playing. The loud, crazy ringtone with drums smashing in the background gave away its owner at once. The dark haired girl winced at the sudden blaring noise which had disrupted the peace in the early morning.<p>

Mio rushed over to the source of the noise, and glanced at the ID of the caller.

The word 'Mom' flashed on the small screen.

She accepted the incoming call, to silence the noisy song. "Hello, Satomi-san? Ritsu's downsta-"

A hysterical voice interrupted her sentence abruptly before mercilessly bombarding her with questions. "Ritsu? Are you alright? Are you still at Mio's?"

Before Mio could even reply, her childhood friend's mother continued in a worried tone, "Dear, please come home soon, we'll explain everything to you."

The phone was suddenly yanked away from her ear. Mio yelped in surprise, and whirled around to see who had grabbed the phone. An emotionless Ritsu stared back at her.

Unsure of what to do, Mio returned the intent gaze, her thoughts racing.

The awkward stare down continued. The only sound in the room was the frenzied voice that continued its unintelligible frantic begging from the phone.

Surprisingly, Ritsu broke the silence first. "I came up to check if you had fallen asleep again."

Mio flinched at the dead tone of her friend's voice. "Aren't you going to answer your mom?"

"What did you hear?"

"I-I d-didn't-" Mio stopped. But to witness this side of Ritsu was frightening. But since when did she stutter around _Ritsu_, out of all people? With more confidence, she answered firmly, "She asked you to go home soon, and that she'll explain everything."

Ritsu didn't reply immediately. Instead, she continued staring at Mio, as if debating what she should say next. She finally decided on a safe reply and said, "Hurry up. Breakfast's getting cold."

Mio frowned, her disappointment obvious.

Ritsu turned around and walked out of the room, but stopped at the doorway. "Ne, Mio."

"Yes?"

Ritsu didn't face her. "Would you still accept me for who I am, even if I'm not who you think I am?"

Mio paused, absorbing the sudden question and wondering what the best response would be. In the end, she decided to answer as simply and honestly as she could. "Duh. In the end, you're still Ritsu."

Mio watched the back of Ritsu's tensed shoulders slightly relax.

Assuming that she had said the right thing, she continued for extra emphasis, "You'll always be Tainaka Ritsu."

The shoulders tensed up again, and Ritsu quickly strode out, leaving a bewildered Mio.

_What just happened...?_

* * *

><p>Breakfast was <em>weird<em>.

Throughout the whole meal, Ritsu never looked Mio in the eye.

At all.

She kept her gaze at her bowl and poked her rice glumly. Mio's attempts at initiating a conversation had failed, as Ritsu had only replied with either a small nod or plain one-word answers. Her actions unnerved Mio; and left her a little guilty and wondering if she had said something wrong earlier.

Conversations between the two always seemed effortless. Even when they had nothing to talk about, they could chat for hours. Mio was at a complete loss. She had never seen Ritsu so down. No, not down. More like _lost_. Like a little puppy separated from its family.

After breakfast, Ritsu had excused herself, claiming she had left something important at home and had to go get it before she could go to school. Mio had volunteered to wait for her, but Ritsu had insisted _very_firmly that she should go on ahead first.

"I'll catch up," Ritsu had assured Mio, while patting the taller girl's shoulder. "But just in case, I don't want to make you late for school."

This action made Mio suspicious, but she didn't question her friend. Grudgingly, Mio trudged to school unhappily, unaccustomed to the missing presence of her chatty friend.

* * *

><p>Ritsu wanted answers.<p>

Badly.

She wanted to know about her past. Her future.

But most importantly, Ritsu wanted to know who she is.

* * *

><p>The front door creaked open. "I'm home," Ritsu called out softly, auburn eyes warily searching for her family.<p>

"Ah, Nee-chan." Her brother greeted her from behind the kitchen counter, looking slightly surprised. "Mom said you had gone over to Mio-san's; so we weren't expecting you to be back until this afternoon."

Ritsu scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "I wanted to ask mom something."

Satoshi nodded once, and went back to packing his bento. Like his sister, he was just as capable at cooking.

Ritsu was taken aback that her brother hadn't asked anything else.

_Does he know what happened..?_

"Hey, do you-"

Satoshi shook his head curtly before his sister had even finished her sentence. "Nope, I don't know what's going on." He stared straight through Ritsu, his dark eyes piercing. "But I hope you solve it soon, Nee-chan." His gaze dropped back to his lunchbox as he started scooping rice. "I heard her crying last night." His voice had softened, and even cracked a little at the end.

Auburn eyes popped wider. Their mother _never _cries.

"She didn't stop crying until she fell asleep at three in the morning."

Suddenly, Ritsu couldn't help but notice how weary her brother was; and how his eye bags were more visible than before.

"I'm not kidding," Satoshi replied knowingly, sensing her sister's disbelief without even looking up from his bento. Finally satisfied with his preparations for lunch, he shut the lid and looked at his sister again. "Last night, after I came home from soccer practice, the doorbell rang. It was some man in a tux, claiming to be a lawyer." His eyes darkened. "He was looking for you."

Ritsu froze, her face pale.

"Mom screamed at him until he left. You should have heard her." Satoshi shuddered. "Dad..." His words trailed off, as if he was struggling to find the right words. "He just stood there, emotionless, blankly watching mom." His voice broke. "What's happening, Nee-chan? I tried asking, but everyone says I'm too young to understand..."

Ritsu watched her brother unconsciously clench his fists. He had literally watched his family fall apart, hopelessly oblivious to the situation around him and unable to help. And she, the 'older' sister, wasn't here. No, she had took off running to Mio's.

Ritsu gave him a smile. No, it wasn't her usual grin. It was a soft, sincere smile, with a hint of admiration. "You're a true Tainaka, Satoshi," Ritsu murmured, patting the back of his shoulder. "I'm proud."

Out of all reactions, Satoshi had not expected his sister to react that way. His head jerked upwards, and stared at his sister in wonder and worry.

He frowned. "Are you sick?"

Ritsu pouted childishly, and captured his head in a playful chokehold. "You ruined the mood!"

Satoshi grinned, and stuffed his bento into his school bag. "Well, I'm off to school. Dad's at work, and mom should be awake-"

The shrill doorbell of the Tainaka household interrupted whatever he was going to say.

Both siblings turned to the door, and just stared.

"Who on earth would be outside this early?" Ritsu asked, baffled.

Satoshi muttered, "Don't tell me it's..."

"If it is, I'm gonna file him for harassment."

Ritsu jumped at the familiar voice of the sudden additional third person in their conversation.

Their mother stumbled down the stairs unsteadily, eyes puffy and bloodshot.

"What?" she asked self consciously.

Her children didn't answer, but continued staring.

With a wave, she tried to dismiss her children's concerned looks. "Eye irritation," her mother replied quickly. A little _too _quickly.

The doorbell rang again, and all three stiffened.

Ritsu took a few cautious steps towards their front door before swinging the door open.

Her eyed popped in disbelief as her mother exclaimed, "You!"

"Madam, you have to give me a chance to explain."

Ritsu's mother glared harshly at the persistent lawyer on her doorstep.

Satoshi didn't look too happy either. His frown expressed his clear disapproval.

The elder woman moved to close the door; but the lawyer had expected this and wedged his foot between.

"Madam, this won't solve anything. Are you that deep in denial that you'll refuse to at least consider listening to what I have to say?"

This made the woman pause for a second, before slamming her shoulder against the door in another attempt to shut the door. The man winced at the sharp pain, but didn't budge.

"Get. _Out_." Her last word was filled with venom.

"Not until you hear me out. Please, this is becoming rather unprofessional of me."

Ritsu's mind whirled in confusion. _What are they hiding from me? _Despite her curiosity, she kept quiet, knowing this would be the wrong time to ask, although it went against her loud nature.

Her mother kicked his foot away and slammed the door shut before proceeding to lock it. She turned around to face her children, sliding down to the ground with her back against the closed door. Hugging her knees to her chest, she stared at her children, her eyes vacant and unfocused.

Next to her, from the gap beneath the door, a miniature business card slid next to the expressionless woman.

Her gaze fell on the card. Reaching out for the card, she stared at it emotionlessly, as if unsure of what to do with it. Without warning, her hand tightened into a fist, instantly crumpling the card. Tossing the wrinkled paper aside, she sighed tiredly and looked up at her son. "Satoshi, you're going to be late for school if you don't leave now."

"But-!"

His immediate protest was cut off. "Please. I... really don't have the energy."

His expression darted from mild anger to disappointment before settling with a small resentful frown. "...Fine."

"Thank you. Don't forget to use the back door."

"...Alright."

After Satoshi left, Ritsu was left to deal with her wrecked mother. Uncertain of how to help, she asked, "Should I call dad?"

The woman smiled at her daughter, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. A single lone tear trickled down her cheek. "Ritsu, promise me that you won't do anything rash alone."

"Huh?"

"You heard me."

"Um, yeah, sure."

Her mother nodded, and managed a weak but genuine smile. Another tear cascaded. Slowly but steadily, the tears developed to thin consistent streams that didn't stop running down her cheeks.

Ritsu could feel her heart shattering, watching the figure she had always looked up to break down like this, in front of her. Dropping to her knees, she wrapped her hands around her mother's neck. "It's okay, it's okay. Everything's fine."

She didn't know how long she had been in that position. As she watched her mother's eyelids flutter, Ritsu knew her mother must be exhausted from the lack of sleep and stress. "Come on, I'll tuck you in bed."

The elder woman muttered incoherent words, which Ritsu took as a "yes".

Wrapping her mother's arm around her shoulder, Ritsu guided her mother to her bedroom. After making sure her mother was comfortably tucked in bed, Ritsu left the room and quietly shut the door behind her.

She didn't want to go to school, even after the promise she had made to Mio. Who could, after going through what she had just experienced?

Walking around her house aimlessly, she noticed the crumpled business card. Leaning forward to pick it up, she couldn't help but note how the card still looked fancy despite its creases. Before she had even realized it, she had already dialled the number unconsciously.

This was the only way she could get answers.

As soon as the line connected, she demanded, "How do I know if I can trust you?"

Ritsu's straightforward question revealed her identity at once. The lawyer didn't have to guess who the caller of the unknown number at the end of the line.

"You don't. But I'm just doing my job. It's not like I enjoy ripping families apart."

Ritsu paused thoughtfully, before accepting his answer. "Then why are you doing this?"

"I'm just doing my job as a messenger."

"Then tell me what the heck is going on."

He exhaled before answering vaguely. "This isn't the right place and time."

"Why not?"

"It just isn't."

"Then where and when?"

"Let's say... What about-"

"The café ten minutes from my house."

"Huh? Yeah, that could work-"

"I'll be seeing you, then."

Ritsu killed the call and snapped her flip phone shut. Switching the device off, she stared at the miniature screen as it faded to black. Her expression twisted in a conflicted grimace, second thoughts lingering.

Brushing off further thoughts, Ritsu shoved the device deep into her back pocket before bounding out of the house, with a specific cafe in mind.

* * *

><p>Anxiously, Mio checked her phone for the millionth time that morning.<p>

No new messages.

She flipped it shut and sighed, dejected.

* * *

><p>"Table for two, please."<p>

The waiter raised an eyebrow as he eyed the foreign man's tuxedo and sunglasses. "Mr-Italian-Lawyer-sama?" he guessed.

"...What did you just call me?"

"Yes, you must be him. Follow me," he ushered, leading the man to an empty booth table at the corner of the room.

The sight of Ritsu leaning back against the seat with her hands behind her head and eyes shut greeted the man. She opened an eye lazily when she felt him slide across the seat opposite her. "You've got five minutes to tell me what the heck is going on."

The lawyer sat down uncomfortably and crossed his legs. "Straight to the point, aren't you?"

Ritsu clasped her hands together and leaned forward, resting her chin on her knuckles. "I guess. Now spill."

"As you wish." He removed his sunglasses and positioned them on the table to stall for time to gather his thoughts. "The Wakaouji family had been around for centuries; and were well known for their successful business that had been passed down for generations. A suitable young heir would be chosen every 50 years, expected to carry the pride of the Wakaoujis."

Ritsu tapped her feet impatiently, wondering how this was related.

"The late wife of the Wakaoujis had endured two failed miscarriages, and Ichigo Wakaouji was the result of their third attempt. Needless to say, they were ecstatic, to be blessed with a bright, happy-go-lucky child. Around two years ago, however, she started acting peculiar. Ichigo started having frequent mood swings and became detached and depressed. Sometimes, she had absolutely no motivation to do anything." He leaned forward, hands clasped together with his forearms resting on his knees. "A few months ago..."

Ritsu opened her mouth to ask why he was talking about this; but before the question even left her lips, the man had turned to her and commanded firmly, "Don't interrupt, you'll understand in the end."

"I wasn't going to!" Ritsu protested guiltily.

The man's eyebrows arched upwards in disbelief.

Ritsu faltered in bewilderment. "Wait, how did you know?"

His eyebrows arched upwards. "Your father does the same thing."

"My... Father?"

The lawyer blatantly ignored her question. "As I was saying, a few months ago, we found out Ichigo was suffering from a mental disorder. To be precise: manic depression." He paused wearily, eyeing her reaction. "Does that sound familiar?"

Ritsu stared back at him blankly.

"I guess not," he muttered to himself, looking slightly surprised. Clearing his throat, he continued, "Now, the thing was, neither of Ichigo's parents were carriers of that illness. So they decided to do more research, to the extent of hiring private investigators. Five months ago, they discovered something." He exhaled wearily and glanced at Ritsu, who seemed to be daydreaming. But by the gleam in her eyes, the man knew she was listening.

"Ichigo was born on the 21st of August, 1995 in Hiroshima Hospital at precisely 8.22 pm." He stared at Ritsu intently, whose jaw had dropped at the familiar date. "What about you?"

Ritsu nodded mutely before answering hoarsely, "1995, 21st August, Hiroshima, before 8:30pm."

His next words were blunt. "I'm sorry to say, but I'm afraid you and Ichigo must have somehow got mixed up after birth and grew up with the wrong family."

Silence.

Ritsu's mind went automatically blank.

"But..." she squeaked, "It might just be a coincidence."

"I have the documents of your blood samples and records of your father dealing with depression to confirm the theory." He lowered his head. "I'm sorry."

Ritsu didn't answer. She stared back blankly, and blinked.

_Information overload._

Ritsu flinched and unsteadily sunk down onto the chair behind her. The man straightened up nervously, unsure of how she would react.

"Won't it be easier to just leave us as how we are now?"

"Ichigo isn't eligible to take over the Wakaoujis' business, especially with her illness in consideration."

"Find someone else to substitute her!"

The lawyer's expression was grave. "They want the real heir."

"So let me get this straight," Ritsu started softly, her expression still emotionless. "You want me to abandon my family to help out some tradition business-y thing?"

The man winced at her choice of words but nodded anyway.

Ritsu fell silent, not looking very pleased and stood up, with her fists clenched at her sides.

"You come barging into my life telling me that I got mixed up with some other girl when I was a baby; and now you expect me to abandon my family and become a damned Wakaouji?" Her sentence had started out as a hushed whisper but ended up as an indignant shout.

She waved her arms wildly, in rage and disbelief. "Who the hell do the Wakaoujis think they are, sending you here with such a preposterous request?"

"They're the most renowned and politically powerful Japanese family in Italy," he replied calmly, ignoring the curious gazes of the customers at the neighbouring table.

"Well, to hell with them! Wait... _Italy? !_"

* * *

><p>Ritsu didn't go to school that day.<p>

Mio glared at her phone anxiously.

_'The number you are calling is currently busy and unavailable. Woul-'_

The same mechanical voice kept repeating the identical message over and over. Mio redialled the number before the recorded voice had even finished relating its message.

Tsumugi and Yui watched their dark haired friend desperately attempt to try and contact their band's drummer again. That must have been at least the 14th consecutive call she had made since school ended.

Mio snapped her phone shut in frustrated defeat.

"Mio-chan..."

* * *

><p>Ritsu shuddered once before regaining her composure and asking coolly, "If my family took this to court, what are the chances of us winning over my custody?"<p>

He rubbed the bridge of his nose as he considered the question. "Honestly? Less than 5%.The Wakaoujis have most of the courts in their favour; not including the fact that they're one of the most powerful and wealthy family. They're admired by the society too, since the Wakaoujis are the main sponsors of most campaigns and charities."

Ritsu's eyes popped wide, finding it difficult to believe she was born in such a noble family.

"Why would a family like that need me?"

"To represent the family name. Since you're the present heir, you're technically their icon now."

Ritsu stared at him speechlessly. An icon? Her? Sure, she was awesome and all... But seriously? Weakly, she asked, "Why can't Ichigo take my place?"

"It is unfortunate, but Ichigo isn't too good with the public and press."

That intrigued the tawny haired girl. "What am I supposed to do there?"

"You'll be left in charge of all the Wakaoujis' business chains and campaigns. Fortunately, many of the people who work under you have been with the family for a long time. Thus, they know what to do and will guide you as you go along. Oh, and Ichigo shall assist you too. She had been trained to efficiently handle these matters."

"I... See." Not really. But the last thing she wanted to think of was work. "Are there any… consequences if we carry on with a trial but lose anyway?"

The man's tone was grave. "The Tainakas' might face a possible bankruptcy."

Ritsu swallowed nervously. Her hand clenched into a fist involuntarily as she thought of how her family's future was literally at stake.

_Hey, it's cool, no pressure._

"When am I supposed to leave?"

"…Do you really want to know so soon?"

There was a hesitation, and her voice was much softer. "Yes."

"You have 5 days left."

She felt a slight sting on her palm. Opening her fist, she realised that she had clenched her fist so tightly until her nails had dug into her skin, leaving raw crescent shaped marks on her skin. "I don't really have a choice, do I?"

"No… You don't."

The man's genuine honesty was painful.

The air around her had suddenly thinned. She felt restricted. Confined. Trapped. Claustrophobic, even. Ensnared by the laws of destiny.

The walls seemed to be slowly caving in.

Without warning, she sprang from her seat. "Thanks for your time," she said breathlessly. "I'll be on my way now." Gasping for breath, she bounded out of the café.


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Notes: From feedback, I've noticed that many liked my little Ritsu & Mio scene back in chapter 1. To thank the peeps that reviewed, here's another one! Hoho, I've never realised how much writing space they could take up when they're together. :3 This chapter rotates between Ritsu's and Mio's point of view. It should be easy enough to keep up with. __  
><em>_PS: Oh Kakifly, why do you continue to cruelly tease us fans with indirect Mitsu?  
>Beta's Notes: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter because I certainly did! My Commando has been working real hard on this one, so please Review! Trust me, it gets her real excited when she gets a review XD. Once again, I'm sorry for any mistakes. =)<em>

_Disclaimer: I don't own K-ON!_

* * *

><p>Chapter 3.<p>

**Day 1.**

She splashed her face mercilessly after collecting the water in her cupped hands below the gushing tap before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand to erase all evidence of her ever retching.

Ritsu recalled vividly how she ran into the cafe's singular toilet.

The lawyer had tried to enter after her, but she had firmly locked the door. After yelling "Go away!" a couple of times, the manager of the cafe stepped in to disperse the unwanted attention the little scene was receiving.

He led the lawyer away and politely kicked him out, telling him to stop harassing high school girls.

"Are you okay?" a concerned voice asked from the other side of the door.

"Y-Yeah," Ritsu mumbled weakly, guessing the owner of the voice must have been a waitress. "Just a stomach ache."

The commotion died down after that, and Ritsu was left in silence to think.

Why had she ran? Was it because she knew she was going to puke? She didn't know. Her body had reacted before her mind had even caught up with reality.

She remembered her stomach lurching. Bile rising in her throat. Unable to hold in the vomit. Rushing to the toilet bowl and retching out thin, slimy liquid.

She hasn't eaten yet, she realized.

Numbed after finally confronting the lawyer and learning of her past, she stared at her drenched reflection.  
>The girl in the mirror stared back at her.<p>

A thin figure, hunched over the sink, her body trembling. From the cold? Or something else entirely? The girl's loose bangs cascaded over her forehead, unsuccessfully shrouding the pain in the hollow auburn eyes.

Ritsu couldn't recognize herself.

Her headband was gone. She must have dropped it somewhere while she was running. Ah yes, the wind earlier on had been strong.

_'You'll always be Tainaka Ritsu,' _the girl in the mirror whispered mockingly.

Ritsu staggered a step backwards, her face pain stricken. Mio's brutally straightforward words were being used against her. Reminding her that she couldn't possibly be a Tainaka anymore.

To Ritsu, her family name meant the world to her. It was part of her childhood, her identity- It defined who she is.

She was tempted to run back to Mio to forget about her troubles.

But what would that solve? She had already ran away from her troubles once; and no benefits were gained. All she did was bought extra time of blissful ignorance.

The gushing water of the tap made the tawny haired girl realized she had been so lost in thoughts that she hadn't moved and had been rigidly staring back at her reflection.

'_Ritsu Wakaouji,' _her reflection taunted wickedly.

Ritsu flinched, feeling strangely insecure without her usual Tainaka.

She reached out, her fingers tentatively touching the smooth mirror. Brushing her thumb over the cheek of the girl in the mirror, a strange sadistic smile crept to her lips.

"Shut up."

Without warning, her hand snapped backwards, forming a closed fist before springing forward and smashing her mirrored copy.

There was an audible crack as a large fissure stretched across the face of her reflection, distorting the image.

Ritsu couldn't feel the pain.

* * *

><p>After school practice hadn't been very productive. The lack of the lively drummer had affected the whole band with a gloomy atmosphere.<p>

They had tried practicing, but everyone had fallen out of order without the usual drumming leading the beat. Although it was usually rushed, it had always kept them in line and on the right tempo. They had tried again after that, but their second try was less fruitful than the first; so they abandoned practice and settled with just drinking tea.

The awkward silence that followed had not been expected, though. Yui tried to break the silence by telling her bandmates how she woke up one day married to a pastry. Azusa and Tsumugi showed their interest by their half-hearted amusement and exasperation.

Mio tried to show that she was paying attention by making small sounds of acknowledgement; but everyone knew her attention was elsewhere by her unfocused gaze at her teacup. Her mind refused to shut up with endless possibilities of why Ritsu hadn't came to school and didn't answer any of her calls.

Mio jerked upwards when her phone vibrated and emitted a loud shrill. _Ritsu? _Her eyes lit up momentarily, and fell almost immediately after she realized the number didn't belong to her childhood friend.

_Wait a minute. _Her eyebrows shot up at the unknown but strangely familiar number.

"Hello?"

_"Mio-chan? Oh, thank God you picked up."_

Her eyes popped. "Satomi-san?"

The woman's tone was urgent. _"Is Ritsu with you now?"_

She stiffened. "No, she didn't come to school today." A sudden sense of dread made goosebumps form along her arms.

_"She's gone, and isn't picking up my calls!"_

* * *

><p>Ritsu stared at her distorted reflection -that described how she felt: shattered- before glancing at her bleeding knuckles. Blood streaked down her arm and elbow, before dripping and staining the floor.<p>

Realizing she was making a mess, and in a public place nonetheless, she hastily stuck her wounded fist under the flowing water of the tap. She watched her thick crimson blood turn pink and become dilute in mild fascination, cringing at the slight sting.

_What now?_

She didn't know.

She couldn't bear to go home and face her family. After all, she was the odd one out. The one that didn't belong.

The black sheep of the flock.

A sudden knock on the door made Ritsu jump.

"Excuse me," an elderly feminine voice called out. "Are you done?"

Panicked, Ritsu scrambled to switch the tap of the now flooded sink off and clean the mess she made. "Just gimme a second!"

She unlocked the door and strode out casually, ignoring the questioning looks of the old lady waiting outside.

Oh, it was raining. Regardless of that fact, she stepped into the pouring rain and walked away, at a steady pace.

"Wait!" The lady called out. "If you walk in that weather, you'll catch a cold!"

Ritsu paused to glance upwards and extend her hand to the stormy sky. A small grin spread across her features as she realized the irony.

Somehow, she couldn't cry. The tears just wouldn't come out; so the sky was doing it for her.

Either God sympathized her; or was mocking her. She couldn't decide which was worse.

* * *

><p><em>Ritsu, you idiot.<em>

The sun was setting. And Ritsu was still nowhere to be found.

The sudden storm wasn't making the situation any easier, either. Due to the weather, the sky had darkened much earlier than usual and the mini search had to be called off.

Ritsu's mother had wanted to report her daughter missing, but couldn't as the law only allowed you to file someone missing if they disappear for over 24 hours.

She kept mumbling about some "lawyer" and "kidnapping".

That had triggered some unpleasant thoughts, but Ritsu getting kidnapped seemed highly unlikely. It was obvious that she had left home willingly that morning, because she had locked the front door securely and her shoes were gone.

Mio deduced that the paternal stress was just getting to her.

Besides, how was a lawyer related to this?

The Tainakas and the rest of the band had returned home grudgingly and unsatisfied. There was nothing else they could do, but pray and wait for her to come home.

Mio had been with the Ritsu since elementary, thus knew her better than anyone else. She had a strong intuition that the tawny haired girl wanted to be alone to clear her thoughts; and a nagging feeling that she knew where the Ritsu was.

_Where are you?_

Ritsu had disappeared for a whole day. So the possibility of her being at school and home is definitely crossed off the list. They had checked nearby cafes, shops, but to no avail, either.

A bulb clicked in her mind.

There could only be one place left.

_The park!_

* * *

><p>After punching a wall, chasing a cat and wandering about aimlessly, an exhausted Ritsu decided to stop and rest.<p>

Before she knew it, she had arrived at a park. '_The_' playground, where she had spent half of her childhood, with Mio.

Ritsu shivered from the sudden strong gust and pulled her thin jacket tighter around her, ignoring the rain pelting against her body.

Sinking to the ground, she hugged her knees and glanced at the sky.

_The sun's pretty today, _she mused.

* * *

><p>"Ritsu!"<p>

There she was, completely soaked and curled tightly in a ball, her usual yellow headband absent.

Mio hurried over to the girl's side, and positioned her umbrella over both of them to shield them from the incoming rain. She was tempted to ask where she had been the whole day. No, she had more important priorities, such as getting Ritsu out of the rain first.

Ritsu looked upwards, her surprise visible on her face. "...Mio? What are you doing here?"

Mio stared back incredulously. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

"Me? Oh, I'm just, you know, enjoying the scenery."

"In the rain?"

"Uh, yeah."

"You're gonna fall sick."

"A small drizzle isn't going to hurt me."

"Small?" Mio sighed. This was going nowhere. "Ritsu, go home."

Her answer was immediate. "Don't wanna."

"Why not?"

Ritsu's pained auburn eyes pierced through Mio. "I don't belong there," she whispered.

The dark haired girl didn't answer at once. Instead, she kneeled downwards into a squatting position beside Ritsu and stared ahead. In a gentle tone, she asked, "What nonsense are you talking about now?"

"It's not nonsense!" Ritsu protested. "I..."

"They're worried about you," Mio cut in. "So was I."

"I can't face them yet," Ritsu mumbled miserably.

"What do you mean?"

Ritsu fell silent, refusing to answer.

Deciding to try a different tactic, Mio asked, "Where were you all day?"

"Oh, y'know, just ditching lessons and hanging out at the arcade," Ritsu said nonchalantly, obviously unwilling to elaborate.

Mio put her hands on her waist. "Why didn't you come to school?"

"Didn't feel like it."

"Ritsu, what's happening to you?"

"Nothing." Ritsu stood up, her right hand in her pocket, and started walking away from her the dark haired girl. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Answer me properly!" Mio reached out and grabbed Ritsu's pocketed hand. The tawny haired girl hissed involuntarily and backed away, eyeing her warily.

Mio withdrew her hand, hurt etched on her face.

Remorse flashed in her auburn eyes. "Accidentally cut myself earlier," Ritsu muttered, looking away.

"When?" Mio swallowed the lump in her throat at the thought of the blood. _This is not the time to freak out,_ she berated herself. _This is not the time to freak out. Must stay strong. _"Let me see."

"No, wait-!"

Mio grabbed her wrist gently, and brought it up to eye level, examining the hand carefully. Hmm, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong. That was, until she flipped the palm around and examined the back of her hand.

There was a dark, rusty colored layer at the tips of her knuckles; and the reddish raw skin was torn and peeling off. Upon closer inspection, she could even see small bits of glass embedded.

_Just a small cut._

Oh, and it seemed that her tug on Ritsu's hand earlier had reopened the wound, causing a droplet of fresh blood to trickle down her fingers.

_Nothing she couldn't handle._

Ritsu watched her paled friend blanch. "Mio..?" Ritsu's voice was softer, but there was a hint of amusement.

"Don't worry," she replied shakily, "I've got it all under contro-"

Mio passed out.

* * *

><p>Without warning, Mio's legs gave way and she stumbled, collapsing backwards.<p>

"Whoa!" Ritsu's lightning reflexes kicked into action. Darting forward, her right arm snaked around Mio's back as her other hand steadied Mio's head and cushioned the impact of the fall.

She managed to slow the fall, but not halt it completely, due to her injured hand and lack of strength and energy. The wounded hand to support Mio's back was now squashed under her weight.

Involuntarily, Ritsu let out a pained yelp and attempted to pull her hand out. In that process, however, she scraped her already-injured-knuckles.

"Ouch." She grimaced, before glancing back at her unconscious friend in amusement. This girl had never failed to entertain her, ever since elementary school.

_What am I gonna do with you, Mio?_

She eyed her gruesomely grazed knuckles, which ended up in worse condition than before. "I should probably cover this," she murmured to herself.

* * *

><p>Grey eyes blinked groggily at the sound of loud slurping.<p>

Mio realized she had somehow ended up in a bed, comfortably tucked in.

From the floor by the side of her bed, a cheery voice called out, "Finally decided to wake up, eh, princess?"

The dark haired girl watched Ritsu stuffing her face with noodles, loudly slurping in the process.

Mio pushed herself up. "Uhhn. What happened?" She scanned her surroundings. "…I'm home...?" She realized that Ritsu had changed into dry clothes, and that she herself was wearing different clothes.

"Someone decided to faint on me when she saw my knuckles. In the rain." Ritsu grinned. "I couldn't just leave her there, so I dragged her home. Literally. Does your back hurt? It got pretty rough on the roads."

Mio blushed at first, but her expression gradually grew darker. "You _dragged _me back? Couldn't you just wait for me to wake up?"

"Dragging's more fun."

"Gah, I'll let you off this one time." Mio glared at the shorter girl. Truthfully, she was afraid that Ritsu might have just left her there, unconscious. They had distanced, and Ritsu seemed to have been eager to avoid her. But now thinking back, she couldn't imagine Ritsu just abandoning her. Wait, why had she fainted at the first place?

Mio suddenly shot up. "Your hand!"

Ritsu dismissed her worries with a small wave. "Nahh, I'm all patched up. See?"

Mio stared suspiciously at the hastily tied bandages around her knuckles. _Wait._"... Is that toilet paper?"

Ritsu froze, her pair of chopsticks in her mouth, dangling comically."...Course not!"

Mio raised an eyebrow. "Huh. Looks like toilet paper to me."

"Nawh, you're just imagining things," she said casually, going back to messily slurping her noodles.

Mio noticed she was using her chopsticks with her left hand; and watched as Ritsu fumble awkwardly. The tawny haired girl growled in irritation as the noodles slipped from her grasp and slipped back in the cup with a small splash.

Ritsu cringed as droplets of hot soup splattered on her face. "Ow," she mumbled sheepishly, aware that Mio was watching her.

"Why don't you use a fork?"

"True Japanese don't use Western cutlery!"

Mio sighed at the stubbornness of the tawny haired girl. "You're hopeless. Here, let me help you."

Ritsu brightened up instantly. "Yay!"

With ease, Mio picked up the noodles. However, before she could even attempt to feed her friend, Ritsu had already darted forward and bitten off the food at the end and swallowed after a quick chomp.

"Ritsu, chew!"

"I did!"

"Properly!"

"But I'm hungryyy."

"You'll choke yourself."

Ritsu guffawed at Mio's statement. "That's just silly." She stuck out the cup of instant noodles, in a gesture of offering. "Want some?"

"You're hungrier. Besides, I already ate."

"I'm sure there's always extra room in that big stomach of yours- Ow!"

Mio shoved the noodles back into Ritsu's grasp. "Feed yourself."

"Whyyyyy?"

"You called me fat."

"But fat is good! The extra blubber will keep you warm in winter!"

Mio stared at her incredulously. "Blubber? What am I, a polar bear?"

Ritsu grinned. "You're Mio-bear!"

Mio raised an eyebrow. "I think the cold's getting to you."

"Nuhh. You've got tons of hair too, just like a bear!" She beamed proudly at her conclusion.

"Ritsu, keep quiet and eat."

"Yes, Mio-bear-sama," Ritsu replied obediently, her shut-up-or-Mio'll-smack-you senses tingling. Digging into her noodles again, she munched happily; perfectly content with spending the rest of her life like that.

That was, until her eyes suddenly widened to the size of saucers. Spluttering uncontrollably, she thumped her chest with her (uninjured) fist, trying to swallow the lump stuck in her throat.

"What did I tell you?" Mio groaned exasperatedly, patting the coughing girl's back in an attempt to soothe her. "You never listen to me."

"Chewing... Sounds... Good," Ritsu wheezed, after giving one last wild cough. "Ack. That wasn't fun."

Mio rolled her eyes. "I'm sure."

A comfortable silence followed. Ritsu fidgeted uncomfortably. She knew Mio was using the silence to sort out her thoughts.

"Hey, Ritsu. About school earlier..."

"Yeah..?"

"I know you don't want to tell me."

Ritsu looked away guiltily. "I'm sorry." She didn't understand why she couldn't tell Mio, who had been worried sick and always looking out for her. No, it was too soon to tell her. She needed more time to come to terms with it herself and accept it first.

"It's just... I can't help you if you don't tell me anything," Mio whispered in a sad tone. "And it hurts... Watching you hurt."

"But-"

"Wait, let me finish," she said firmly, putting her index finger against Ritsu's lips and efficiently shushing the girl.

"If you don't want to tell me, fine." Mio's voice cracked at the end, and Ritsu knew she had hurt her best friend with her secrets. Mio took a deep breath and composed herself. "But at least do me a favor."

Ritsu's auburn eyes were sad and filled with regret. "...What?"

"Your family is worried about you."

Ritsu sighed miserably. "I know."

"Promise me you'll see them tomorrow."

"...Fine."

"Good girl." Relief washed over Mio's face, as if a burden had been lifted off her shoulders.

Without warning, her knees buckled, steam erupting out of her ears.

"Not again!" Ritsu caught her easily this time. "Mio, you've got to stop fainting on me."

A rare sheepish look appeared on the dark haired girl's features as she asked weakly, "I said too much again, didn't I?"

Ritsu smiled crookedly. "Don't you always?" She paused, and sniffed. "Hey, you smell like me!"

"…Wa?"

"Hmm, must be because of earlier. Oh, that's right! I almost forgot. Hehe. Your mom told me to tell you that she changed you out of your wet clothes, but didn't bathe you yet." She flashed Mio a cheeky grin. "You were probably too heavy for her to handle."

There was a yelp of pain.

"Okay okay, I take it back! Oh yeah, she also told me to tell you to go take a bath once you're awake."

"Yeah, I need one badly." She shot Ritsu a deadly look. "You better not mess up my room again."

Ritsu flashed her a thumbs up. "Challenge accepted!"

* * *

><p>After a hot shower that left Mio's skin pink and tender, she sauntered downstairs, scrubbing her hair with the towel around her neck.<p>

"Oh sweetie, you're up. How're you feeling?"

Mio nodded. "Better."

Her mother nodded to herself. "That's good. How's Ricchan? I sent her to the shower after she almost collapsed at our door."

"She doesn't seem any different from usual. Wait, collapsed…?"

Her mother hummed softly. "She's a tough cookie. I have to admit I was surprised to see Ricchan come knocking, completely wet, with you unconscious on her back."

"…Her back?"

"She didn't tell you? After you lost consciousness, she carried you back home. We're lucky that the playground's nearby." Her mother raised an eyebrow. "What were you doing there in the middle of a storm?"

Mio gaped in disbelief and sighed, the corners of her lips curving upwards. "Long story. Mama, where's the first aid kit?"

Her mother looked up in concern. "Did Ritsu injure herself again?"

Mio smiled. "Something like that."

"It's nothing too serious, is it?" Her mother sighed and shook her head. "Some things never change. I moved the kit to the cupboard behind the bathroom mirror. I thought we wouldn't have to use it again once Ricchan grew more responsible…"

"How I wish," Mio groaned. "She's still the same as ever."

Her mother had a thoughtful expression on her face. "She wouldn't be Ricchan if she wasn't."

Mio hummed softly. "I suppose."

After her little conversation with her mother, Mio retreated back to her bedroom, expecting her room to be in an unrecognizable state. To her surprise, everything was just how she left it. The only difference was that Ritsu was now slumped in the middle of her bed, arms and legs outstretched, snoring lightly.

Mio's eyebrow twitched.

Ritsu had completely dominated her whole bed.

Mio sighed again.

_Honestly, what is that girl thinking?_

Striding towards Ritsu's right, she kneeled by the bed and tenderly picked up Ritsu's bandaged hand. Unwrapping the messy toilet paper, Mio braced herself... And almost fainted again.

If anything, it had gotten even worse.

It was a simple flesh wound. But to Mio, it was horrifyingly gory.

Mio inhaled shakily. _This is for Ritsu, this is for Ritsu..._she chanted in her head. Flipping open the lid of the first aid kit, she carefully picked up a pair of tweezers.

Mio shuddered once more, before steadying her nerves. "Okay. Glass first."

Ritsu's careless attitude with her wound had pushed the jagged fragments even deeper.

Although Mio was hopeless at the sight of blood, she was surprisingly knowledgeable at first aid. _It's probably because Ritsu's always reckless and getting hurt,_ she mused thoughtfully. _And I had to be the one cleaning up her messes after that, _she deadpanned.

Gently, she cleaned the wound and applied antiseptic, watching Ritsu cringe in her sleep. "It's your fault at the first place," Mio murmured, looking slightly guilty. Sure, she's smacked Ritsu more than she could count, but the tawny haired girl was at fault in those situations. Finishing up by professionally wrapping (real) bandages, Mio couldn't resist but to add a finishing touch by tying the knot into a small, cute bow.

She smiled at the little bow, satisfied. _Guess first aid class was useful after all._

Mio sighed in relief, glad that the ordeal was over.

Now, there's one last thing to do.

Unlocking her slide phone, she dialed the most recent unknown number.

"_Hello?"_

"Satomi-san? I found her. Ritsu's at my house now."

_"Thank goodness. How is she?"_

"Tired. She's asleep now."

_"Did she tell you anything?"_

"...No."

_"Really?"_

"Yes."

There was a silence at the end of the line for a few seconds. _"Mio-chan, can you do something for me?"_

"I'll try," Mio replied hesitantly.

_"Look after her for me."_

Mio's answer was immediate. "Always."


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: This chapter's longer than my usual; and still rotates between different point of views. Real sorry for more than one month of inactivity & A BIG THANK YOU to those who took time to review! They really made my day :) It's certainly refreshing to read what you guys think.  
>PS: My beta is back &amp; has corrected my previous mistakes :) <em>

_Disclaimer: K-ON! belongs to Kakifly._

* * *

><p>Chapter 4.<p>

**Day 2.**

Too distressed and anxious over her friend's mental health, Mio only managed to fall asleep at 4 in the morning. Needless to say, the exhausted girl wasn't very amused when she was awakened by something poking her nose and cheek.

"Squishy squishy~"

Her eyelids fluttered open, and her groggy mind registered Ritsu's face just an inch from hers.

Mio's left eyebrow started twitching.

"Ritsu."

The said girl who was straddling her waist smiled back happily. "Yeah?"

"What are you doing?"

"Checking out your nose."

"...And why would you do that?" Mio asked, trying to remain composed long enough to listen to whatever Ritsu's reasons may be for "checking out her nose." Besides, it was too early to be violen- ahem, knock some sense into her (which never seemed to work anyway).

"I was wondering how many peanuts I could fit in your nostrils."

_Ask a stupid question, and you'll get a stupid answer_, Mio thought dryly. "...You're spending too much time with Yui and Ton-chan."

Ritsu grinned. "And based on my superior maths calculations, I should be able to fit 2 and a half!"

The fact was slightly disturbing."... Stay away from my nose."

Ritsu chuckled and backed off, moving to sit cross-legged at the end of the bed, near Mio's feet.

"Hey, Mio."

"Mm?"

Ritsu fidgeted nervously. "I've got, um, some serious stuff to talk about."

Her words made Mio push herself upwards until she was sitting up with her back straight. "Yes?" she urged on gently, trying not to sound impatient.

Ritsu looked away, her gaze staring outside the window. "I might have to go away for a while."

"Okay..?"

"No, you don't get it." Her voice dropped to a hushed mumble. Mio had to strain her ears to catch what her unusually solemn friend was saying.

"I have to go.. Overseas."

"For holidays?"

"...For a few years."

Mio felt her heart stop. "... What? ! Why? What about school? What about the club? Your family?"

"It's not like I want to," Ritsu replied miserably. "I don't have a choice, Mio. If I don't... They'll sue my family."

"They?"

"My biological family."

The dark haired girl shot her a bewildered glare. "Ritsu, stop talking in riddles. If this is a joke, it's not funny."

"How I wish it was a joke, Mio."

Mio had never seen Ritsu so utterly devastated. From the rare expression, she knew this was no prank; and her life just got much more complicated.

Scooting next to Ritsu, she wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulder in a half hug. "Hey now, it's okay. Everything's going to be fine. Tell me more?"

Ritsu nodded, inhaling deeply. "I found out that I'm not..." she paused, struggling for words.

"Not..?" Mio encouraged gently.

Ritsu clenched her right fist unconsciously. "Apparently, a nurse had accidentally got me mixed up with another kid when I was still a newborn..."

Mio delicately took the clenched fist into her hands, and pried open the fingers of the fist to loosen the tight grip. "Don't you dare," she warned sternly, "Especially after what I went through to bandage that."

Honey auburn eyes widened in surprise. Mio was unexpectedly understanding and calm. "You're not shocked..?"

"Hm? Of course I am. Who wouldn't be?" Mio looked up from Ritsu's bandaged hand; her grey eyes clear and sincere. "But it doesn't matter what last name you have, you're still Ritsu."

Ritsu gaped at the dark haired girl in disbelief. All this time, she had been battling with her insecurities and flaws. Yet Mio had accepted her so easily, without any hesitation.

Ritsu turned her head to look out the window again, so Mio wouldn't see the ridiculously huge grin on her face.

She finally felt at peace.

Beaming idiotically to herself, she said, "So you were the one who patched me up. Hehe, thanks. I'm surprised, though. I bet you fainted again."

Mio ignored her last sentence. Instead, she asked hesitantly, "... Do you regret that the 'switch' ever happened?"

"No." Her reply was instantaneous, which startled Mio. Ritsu flashed her a lopsided smile. "... I wouldn't have been able to meet you otherwise."

Her respond made the dark haired girl redden slightly.

"But why do they suddenly want you back?" That question had been bugging Mio since the beginning of the conversation.

Ritsu grimaced, and pulled her knees to her chest. "They need an heir for their business-y thingy. If I don't go, they're going to fight for my custody in court." She rested her chin on her knees. "I've done a little research on them… Standing against them is a bad idea."

"What type of people are they? !"

"People you don't want to mess with," Ritsu replied darkly.

"But don't you get to choose what you want to do?" the dark haired girl protested.

Ritsu's voice dropped to a hushed whisper. "Mio, if I don't go, I'm going to be the reason my family goes bankrupt."

Mio gaped at her. "That's..!"

Ritsu's auburn eyes were unnaturally steely. "I don't have many options, Mio."

"So what are you going to do?" Mio asked, fearing for the worst.

"Do what they say." She watched the colour drain from Mio's face. "For now," Ritsu continued hastily, waving her hands in a frantic motion. She had been dreading this moment- scared of hurting her best friend; and utterly terrified to be the cause of her friend's tears.

Mio broke eye contact and stared at the floor, refusing to meet Ritsu's gaze. Her dark bangs hung loosely over her pained grey eyes.

"How is leaving going to fix this?" Mio asked in a low, monotone voice.

"I'm gonna try and make a deal with them." Ritsu didn't need to see her friend's face to know how Mio was feeling. Her auburn eyes softened sadly. "I really don't want to go. My life is as close to perfection just being with you guys."

Her statement made Mio look up, with a strange melancholic smile on her face. "You've thought over this a lot, haven't you?"

Ritsu nodded. "Till I went crazy."

"You want to meet them as well, don't you?"

Ritsu perked up in surprise. "I-I-" As much as she wanted to deny that, a small curious part of her was wondering what her biological family was like. "...I guess," she admitted, "But I have some things to sort out with them, too."

"Where do they live?"

"Italy."

Mio felt her throat dry. "Europe?" she croaked. Forcing her voice not to betray her, she continued hoarsely, "When do you have to go?"

Ritsu avoided her gaze again. "Soon."

"I-I see." Mio could feel her strong facade fading. The shock of the news had passed; and was starting to sink in.

"Yeah..." Ritsu trailed off awkwardly, twiddling her thumbs.

Mio couldn't bear to share eye contact with her lifelong friend. She couldn't show how much she was hurting just by the thought of Ritsu leaving her. Starting to feel desperate, she demanded, "What about school? Graduation? The band? Budokan?" Her next words were hushed and choked from emotion. "What about the promise back then?"

Ritsu was at a loss of words. "I-I.."

Mio flinched inwardly at Ritsu's guilty tone. _I should be happy for her and support her decision,_she berated herself convincingly.

"I don't wanna go." Ritsu paused thoughtfully, considering her options. "Maybe I can come up with something," she mumbled hopefully.

Ritsu's answer made Mio's heart flutter happily. At least she knew that she meant a lot to the tawny haired girl. But Mio was well aware that she had just used a dirty trick- the guilt factor.

The mature part of Mio's personality deep within reminded her how wrong the situation was; and that she was just being greedy.

She didn't want Ritsu to go.

But she didn't want to be the reason of her friend's guilt.

And most of all, she didn't want to be the person holding her best friend back.

The internal battle raged on, with Mio battling the rights and wrongs of her possible decisions.

After a tensed moment, Mio straightened up, balling up bunches of the sheets in her clenched fists. Her head was still bowed down as she refused to look at Ritsu.

She knew what she had to do.

"Sorry. That was selfish of me." Mio's usually smooth alto voice cracked at the end.

Ritsu watched the trembling girl in speechless silence. A sudden water droplet created a small wet stain on the sheets. Another tear followed.

Crap.

This had been the moment Ritsu had been dreading. Making her best friend cry because of her.

Before Ritsu could even move to attempt to comfort her friend, Mio looked up and forced a half-hearted smile. "Congratulations on finding your real family. I wish you the best of luck."

Ritsu blinked. "Wa..?"

"You should tell everybody else as soon as possible. They're not going to be very happy when they find out you've been keeping this from them."

"Eh?"

"The band, duh. Are you still going to school?"

"W-Wait a minute! Is that it? You're just gonna let me go like that?"

"Why not?" An unusual smirk formed on her lips. "At least I won't have anyone disturbing me while I study; and you'll learn to do homework without copying."

Okay, that stung.

Ritsu exhaled heavily. "I see."

Mio bit her bottom lip nervously. She could hear the hurt radiating from her friend's simple words. She could feel her own heart throb painfully from her harsh words to the tawny haired girl.

However, she had to do this.

To show that she's strong. That she'll be able to cope without Ritsu. That she isn't a reason of Ritsu's second thoughts to leave.

There was nothing worse than acknowledging that you're responsible for holding the person you held dearest to you back in life.

Inhaling deeply, Mio continued, "I'll have one less child to look after."

Ritsu twitched uncomfortably at the unnecessary statement. "... Yeah."

Mio glanced at the clock and hummed. "We're early. You still have time to go home and show your family you're still in one piece."

Ritsu just stared at the dark haired girl in disbelief, stunned at Mio's cold-like attitude. Did Mio really want her out of her sight that badly?

Ritsu frowned unhappily. Sure, Mio could be harsh at times. But... _Does she have split personalities or something?_

"You should go," Mio said quietly, her expression unreadable. "Before school starts."

Ritsu was at a loss of words, torn between questioning Mio's actions, insisting to stay or just respecting Mio's space by leaving. "Um-"

Mio was completely rigid, except for her hands, which were trembling uncontrollably. Her hazy grey eyes were stormy with a mix of unidentified emotions. Brimming at the edge of Mio's clouded eyes were the collected tears that threatened to spill at even the slightest movement.

The sight made Ritsu cringe inwardly. "...Okay."

"See you at school." Mio's voice was muffled.

Oh, so she didn't want to walk to school together. "Yeah."

Ritsu stood up stiffly and slowly walked to door. She didn't want to leave the dark haired girl alone. Shuffling her feet awkwardly, Ritsu shifted her glance back to Mio. "You sure?"

She knew what that vulnerable look meant. She knew that Mio was hurt and unwilling to show it. _But who wouldn't be upset? _Ritsu berated herself. _Your best friend since elementary suddenly decided to leave you for some strangers she never met overseas. Of course you'll feel betrayed.  
><em>  
>And Mio knew that Ritsu knew. "Go." It was more of a plead than a command.<p>

She wanted to comfort the dark haired girl, but didn't know how too. And what if she made the situation worse? That wouldn't be surprising, considering how 'she' was the whole reason of this mess at the first place.

Suddenly frightened at the prospect of deepening her friend's emotional wounds, Ritsu decided that the best course of action was to do as told.

Wordlessly, after shooting one last worried glance at her friend, Ritsu quietly exited.

With her tears now freely running over her cheeks, Mio watched Ritsu silently close the door behind her.

Standing up weakly, she got off the bed and stumbled towards the door; tempted to give into her selfish desires and call Ritsu to come back.

However, she stopped hesitatingly, with her hand gripping the doorknob tightly; unsure of what had suddenly taken over her body.

_She's probably gone anyways._

Futilely, she tried to get a grip on herself and regain control over her emotions. But that failed, and her shaky legs gave way, and she collapsed on the floor, with her back slumped against the door for support.

_Don't leave me..._

At the other side of the door, now outside her comfort zone, Ritsu leaned back against the door with her hands shoved deeply into her pockets.

The lump in her throat got harder to swallow down as Mio's heartbreaking sobs echoed through. Ritsu felt like she had just witnessed a heart break into a million pieces of glass.

_I'm sorry._

Somewhere, deep inside, she clung on to the childish hope that Mio would change her mind and come after her.

That morning, the door never opened.

* * *

><p>After swallowing his usual daily prescribed pills, he grabbed a mug of black coffee, frowning as he stirred the dark liquid vigorously with a silver spoon. No matter how much sugar he added, the liquid insisted to remain dark and gloomy.<p>

He gave up, and took a sip.

And nearly spewed the drink back out.

He grimaced. The coffee wasn't coffee any longer, but an overly sweet sugar solution.

His heavy sigh wasn't only directed at his careless mistake that led to a waste of good coffee.

As he discarded the liquid by pouring it into the sink, he sighed again.

Just how much had he missed out on?

His family is in a mess.

After that strange visit from the man entered their lives, claiming that his daughter weren't theirs, his whole family had been on the edge.

When he returned home from work last night, his wife had been pacing around the house, mumbling incoherently. He wasn't particularly worried after finding out that Ritsu wasn't at school nor home, either. He believed his daughter was independent enough to look after herself. _Although she could be quite irresponsible at times_, he mused.

He couldn't deny that he felt more relieved when Ritsu's long time friend, Mio, had called and updated them that Ritsu was fine.

But his wife was a different story. Judging by her actions, he knew that there was something much deeper and darker below the surface. His wife had stubbornly refused to tell him the current situation.

Every time he would ask, she would repeat in a monotone, "Until Ritsu comes home," she'd say. "Then _she'll _tell you. It's not my place to."

This made him grind his teeth in frustration. Since when was she concerned over whether it was her place to tell or not? With his wife's impatient personality, it was completely out of place.

Grabbing his workbag, he grunted as he fumbled for the keys to lock the front door.

"I've been waiting for you, Tainaka-san."

He turned around, confused, his eyebrows raised. Scanning his surroundings quickly, he realized the only person who could have spoken to him was a tall man in dark shades and an elegant tuxedo that couldn't be cheap. His short, neatly trimmed platinum blonde hair and foreign accent told him instantly that this man couldn't be local.

It was _him_. The man who was responsible for turning the lives of his family upside down and inside out. His attempt to be dignified and polite by asking, "May I help you?" was in vain, as his statement sounded more of an outraged hiss instead.

The foreigner didn't seem fazed by his harsh tone and gave a curt bow before holding out his hand to shake. "It seems that I can't get through your wife, so I've come for you instead."

Ritsu's father was unsure of how to respond. "Um, I'm sorry, but we'll have to make this quick or I'll miss my train."

"You might want to consider taking your day off work, Tainaka-san. We have a lot to talk about."

"About what?" he asked, with a guarded expression.

"You had quite a troubled childhood, Tainaka-san, especially coping with counseling sessions during high school and uni, no?"

The sudden statement made Ritsu's father blanch and stop in his tracks; staring at the foreigner in disbelief. "What did you just say?"

The foreigner blatantly ignored his question. "You suffer from depression. Is this correct, sir?"

The other man paled, colour rapidly draining from his face.

"Your children don't know about your condition, do they?" He paused thoughtfully. "I suppose not, since there's no need to tell them considering your illness has decreased drastically and doesn't resurface as long as you take your anti-depression pills every day." Then, he mused, "I must confess that it wasn't easy searching up your records. It's been a long time since I last came to Japan, I'd almost forgotten the ways of the government; and your doctor was quite adamant not to reveal any details of your condition."

The other man's expression was a mix between suspicion, surprise and absolute horrification. "Who _are _you?"

A small smirk appeared on the foreigner's features. "I seem to be getting that a lot. But I'm just a mere messenger, sir. I came to confirm your condition... And discuss about your daughter."

The other man just stared speechlessly, hopelessly unaware that this was only the beginning.

The blonde foreigner unlocked his black briefcase and revealed a thick brown envelope. "I've got the legal documents in here."

That was when he knew that this encounter was about to change the lives of his family; and probably his only chance to uncover all the confusion and secrecy. "...Let's discuss this in my house."

* * *

><p>After a solid and excruciating ten minutes of leaning by Mio's bedroom door and listening to her best friend's reducing quiet sobs; Ritsu decided to leave. The fact that she could do nothing but just stand and watch her best friend in pain distressed her.<p>

Leaving the Akiyama household had to be one of the hardest things she had to do.

The reason was mostly because of the guilt eating her for abandoning Mio during her greatest time of need. But there was another reason, which she couldn't put into words.

It was this strange, fore-brooding feeling that her days here were numbered.

Oh, that's right, _they are_.

And the reminder didn't help the situation at all.

At first, she couldn't even bring herself to walk out the door. Walking out of Mio's room had been difficult already and sapped up most of her mental strength and willpower.

Ritsu shook her head wildly as she trudged down the stairs.

If she couldn't do it now, how could she leave on the real day? She frowned as a recent memory flashbacked in her mind.

_"I'm not going to go." Ritsu's voice was firm and determined._

_The man sighed. "Your father is quite insistent that you do."_

_"He is NOT my father," Ritsu hissed. "I don't even know him."_

_"It's never a good idea to go against someone like him," he advised._

_"I don't care. I-"_

_"Will be responsible for driving your family penniless."_

_This made Ritsu go quiet fast._

_"If you don't comply... Who knows what else he would do?" His voice grew thicker with emotion. "Next thing you know, your parents will lose their jobs and your family will be torn apart." With a disgusted frown, he continued, "Yes, he's distinguished enough to influence and shape your whole future. Welcome to the world of corruption and blackmail." In a defeated tone, he finished softly, "He always gets whatever he wants. You have a choice. Don't make the wrong one."_

_The first thing that came to Ritsu's mind was: Too Much Info. But his deep words and passionately emotional tone had made Ritsu raise an eyebrow. "He did something to you too?"_

_He twitched, realizing that he said too much. "I'm just a messenger," the man replied quietly. "End of story."_

_Ritsu watched as the foreign man struggled to regain composure. "I see," was all she said._

Her toes curled unconsciously at the recent memory that had suddenly flashed in her mind. A sad grunt escaped her lips as she trudged dejectedly out of the Akiyama household.

* * *

><p>After an intense session of waterworks and letting her emotions out, Mio finally caught a grip on herself. For a fleeting moment, she wondered if this was just a cruel prank of Ritsu's. The situation was just ridiculously unbelievable! It 'had' to be a bad joke that had gone horribly wrong, right?<p>

But her instincts were buzzing. As impossible as this was, there was clear evidence right before her eyes.

Firstly, Ritsu was nothing like her parents, both personality and features-wise.

Compared to the Tainakas' dark chocolate eyes, Ritsu was the only one of the family with eyes of a lighter shade of brown. And upon closer inspection, you would notice that Ritsu had tiny golden flecks residing within her honey auburn eyes; which were barely visible since it blended with the colour of her irises. She claimed that she, again, was the only one among her family with the flecks.

Mio herself had only been close to see the flecks twice, throughout her whole childhood with Ritsu. How she got close enough to notice the flecks is another story. (;])

While the father of the Tainakas' possessed hair of the colour of dark caramel; Satoshi had inherited his mother's deep chocolate hair. Ritsu's sandy colored hair stuck out like a sore thumb.

Ritsu had a naturally small frame as her stature and um, vertically challenged. This was rather odd, considering that her father was close to six feet; and her mother was taller than average women too. Satoshi wasn't that tall either, but he was still young and had just hit puberty. At the rapid rate of his growth and the amount of food disappearing into his stomach, Mio predicted that he would reach about his father's height.

She sniffed sadly, before pushing herself up unsteadily and walking over to her closet, still deep in thought.

Mio had never questioned Ritsu's odd differences and had dismissed them easily. Now, however, with the facts taunting her, she couldn't quite stomach the truths.

The only piece that didn't quite fit was Satoshi's personality and actions: which was so alike to his sister, to the extent of being legible as a guy version of Ritsu.

Ritsu must have influenced him since they were much younger, Mio thought wryly. That was the only theory that made sense.

But the image that affected Mio the worst- Ritsu's genuine distressed expression. Her whole world must have been falling apart; and she hadn't been there for her best friend.

"Dad?"

Her father, who had buried his face in his hands, flinched at the title and turned around. "You're back," he stated slowly.

Auburn eyes widened at the unexpected guest opposite her father, who nodded to show acknowledgement of her presence. Ritsu swallowed nervously at the sight of a bulky envelope and paperwork scattered across the coffee table between the two men.

"Why are you here?" she demanded, clearly addressing the foreigner.

The man flashed an apologetic look. "Your family is just as involved as you are in this. Though it's mainly your decision; I couldn't let you handle the entire thing alone."

Ritsu watched her father squeeze his eyes shut and rub his temples with his index and middle fingers. "This is insane," he decided rationally, "How can I even consider this when I haven't even met this Wakaouji fella?"

It was a rhetorical question, but the lawyer took it seriously. Fishing out his cellphone, he jabbed at the keypad before holding the receiver against his ear. After waiting a moment, he started speaking in another language, which sounded gibberish to Ritsu.

The Tainakas shuffled in their seats awkwardly, wondering what was going on. They certainly hadn't expected the foreigner to suddenly lean forward and place the phone on the table. "It's on loudspeaker," he said in a hushed tone that was not audible enough to be picked up by the device's speaker. It was clear that his words were only meant for the Tainakas' ears. "Behave," he warned.

A heavily European accented voice spoke. "Hello?" His tone was cold and businesslike.

"Um, hello," Ritsu's father replied after a hesitant pause; pressured by Ritsu's expectant gaze.

"You wish to chat with me?"

"...Yes. Yes I do. What is the meaning of this, trying to take my daughter?"

"Just exactly what it means, Tanaka-san."

He bit his bottom lip to hold back a growl. "TAI-naka."

"That's what I said," the man answered dismissively, without a wave of care in his voice.

This ignited a spark of irritation from Ritsu's father, who was usually calm. "You said-"

"I know what I said, Tanaka-san. Now, I'm a very busy man, so would you please get on with whatever you wanted to talk about?"

"... This is not a matter that should be rushed with."

"Indeed, it should be done and over with."

Appalled at his answer, Ritsu's father demanded, "Just what does your daughter mean to you?"

"She's not my daughter," the man replied bitterly. "She is a failure unable to take over my business, even after all the training and money I had invested in her." As an afterthought, the man decided to speak his mind and continue, "Due to her biological birth parents."

Without warning, her father abruptly rose from the seat, with his fists furiously clenched. "You bastar-!"

The lawyer, who had been sitting quietly throughout the whole conversation, suddenly darted forward, covering the speaker with his thumb. His sudden action slightly startled Ritsu, who had almost forgotten he was even there. "Behave yourself!" he reminded sternly. "Wakaouji-sama doesn't tolerate nonsense."

It took a moment for the words to sink into Ritsu's already-overloaded-with-information-mind to realize he had just blamed her father for Ichigo's condition; and Ritsu was absolutely livid. "But you heard it yourself! He insulted-!"

"Ritsu." Her father placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, his lips in a tight line. "Don't you dare get involved. This guy's mine."

Ritsu nodded, a slight smile growing on her features. _Jeez, men and their big ego._

Her father forced himself to take a deep intake of breath, and release all the vulgar negativity within him in a sharp exhale.

Deciding that rationality and sensibility might be the best approach, he leaned forward, grabbing the phone and pressing it against his ear. Ritsu could pick up the slight strain in his voice when he asked, "With all due respect, but how would _you _feel if a stranger snatched your daughter away?"

"I would set my dogs after them," he replied immediately, which caused Ritsu's eyebrows to shoot up in surprise.

_So he does have a heart after all._

"And I would do the same," her father replied before continuing awkwardly, "If I had dogs."

Ritsu rolled her eyes. _Smooth move, dad._

The foreigner sighed. "Please, cut straight to the point, Tanaka-san."

Her father cleared his throat. This was actually going pretty well; they had a chance on ending this in their favor. "So, since we're now on the same page and understand each other, surely you'll know how devastating it is to lose a daughter."

The line went quiet.

"...Hello?" Her father broke the silence, his expression hopeful. Had his words pierced through the man's harsh exterior and made him reconsider his ridiculous demands?

"...You want my daughter?"

"What?" He asked bewilderedly, caught off guard. That was _not _the answer he had been expecting. At all. How had that man even reached to such a conclusion? "That's not what I-"

"Deal. We shall trade the girls."

…

Ritsu's father spluttered in disbelief. "W-WHAT?"

"You have my daughter; and I have yours. It is a fair exchange."

...This is all wrong. This wasn't part of the plan.

Now panicked, her father desperately exclaimed, "But I don't want your daughter! I just want mine!"

His words went ignored. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you, Tanaka-san. Have a good day."

The phone emitted a loud beep, signaling the end of the call. Shell shocked at what just happened, Ritsu and her father just stared at the phone, with their jaws dropped.

The lawyer brushed his trousers and stood up, his expression neutral as he gingerly took his cellphone from the still-frozen man before pocketing the device.

"So," he stated casually, "Any questions?"

* * *

><p>Ritsu's hurried text of <em>'I'm gonna be late' <em>had relieved Mio immensely. When a certain tawny haired girl didn't appear in school and was nowhere to be found for the second consecutive day in a row, Mio recognized the familiar panic stirring within her.

It was like déjà vu.

However, at the same time, Mio was ashamed to admit she had felt relieved. She had absolutely no clue how to face her best friend after the rather embarrassing morning where she lost control of her emotions.

But that wasn't the reason.

Just the mere thought of Ritsu leaving scared her tremendously- more than she thought was possibly. Mio was frightened at the intensity of her fear of losing her best friend. Had she always been that dependable?

Imagining life without Ritsu -who had always been by her side since elementary- was _almost _an impossible feat.

Walking to and from school home alone. Lessons without the usual cheery prankster. The light music club without their irresponsible and enthusiastic drummer.

Mio could feel the stinging tears returning once again. Hastily wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her uniform, she urged herself to calm down before a repeat of the morning occurred once again.

She was terrified to say the final goodbye. She knew she wouldn't be able to watch her friend walk away. In fact, it'll probably be a heck easier just avoiding her altogether.

When the dawn of what she had just said struck her, Mio sat up with a startled gasp and a firm decision in her mind.

It would be the best for the both of them.

* * *

><p>Near the end of second period, Ritsu finally appeared. Her expression was blank, but her auburn eyes were wild and panicked. For the rest of the day, she was constantly on the edge, tenfold worse than her usual restlessness.<p>

Tsumugi and Yui picked up her uneasiness immediately. The drummer's tenseness had been contagious, causing the two to unconsciously feel rather anxious themselves. With her usual trademark grin absent, Tsumugi and Yui figured there was something alarmingly wrong.

Lessons had just ended, but Ritsu was still at her desk, absentmindedly tapping her pencil against the desk while staring into space.

"Ricchan, Let's eat together!" Tsumugi said cheerfully, hiding all traces of worry from sight.

"Ui packed me octopus balls today!" Yui beamed happily, following her blonde friend's lead.

Ritsu blinked, disoriented. "Huh? Uh, yeah. Sure."

Pulling up several desks and joining them together, they looked up in surprise when they realized the dark haired girl hadn't sat down.

Mio was nervously twiddling her fingers. "I have to ask Nodoka something," Mio said uneasily. "Student council stuff. Um, I'll be missing lunch too."

Ritsu's eyes darted towards Mio, slightly surprised, but didn't say anything.

As the day continued, they couldn't help but notice how neither Ritsu nor Mio had interacted once, as lessons went by, even through lunch. It was like a rerun of the argument the two childhood friends had shared about a year ago, when Mio started hanging out with Nodoka more often and Ritsu's jealously took over.

The repeat was similar, but much much worse.

At a loss, they were unsure if it was right for them to butt in, since it was obviously a matter between the two longtime friends.

* * *

><p>Avoiding her best friend at first had been relatively easy since Ritsu was surprisingly withdrawn and had kept to herself.<p>

Mio briefly wondered what had happened that morning after she had left. _No,_ she chided herself. _Don't get too close again. _A small part of her was also nervous to face her childhood friend.

Things started to get a little tougher to handle when she crossed paths with the said girl. As soon as she saw Ritsu walking towards her, Mio spun around and strode away in the opposite direction as quickly as she could.

Jaw tight and throat deep in guilt, Mio convinced herself: _It's for the best._

The same encounter repeated several times throughout the morning. In the process, Mio had turned her back on Ritsu and failed to register the mask of hurt that flashed on her features every time the similar encounter replayed.

Yet, the strange gut feeling within Mio grew. That afternoon, the tawny haired girl had also seemed unusually occupied and deeply disturbed; unwilling to participate in conversations with other classmates.

Deciding that something big had occurred and Ritsu needed her, Mio decided to swallow her pride and confront her best friend after school.

However, band practice that afternoon was cancelled, with the club president claiming to be feeling under the weather.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow!" she called out, hastily leaving her confused bandmates in dust to ponder about their leader's oddity.

Mio took off after her, barely catching up with the rushed drummer who had slid her feet into her outdoor shoes.

"Wait, Ritsu!"

Ritsu turned around at the familiar voice, her eyes wide in disbelief.

Gasping for breath, Mio puffed, "We… need... to talk..."

But before the bassist had a chance to even finish her sentence, the Ritsu had hurriedly slammed her shoe locker shut and fled.

Her actions left Mio dumbfounded; too flabbergasted to run after her friend. She had let her walls of defense crumble for the sake of her best friend—who had somehow ironically shot an arrow through crumbling walls and earned an accidental bulls eye striking her heart, where it hurt most.

_She's avoiding me too_, Mio realized, with a pang of rejection as she watched Ritsu retreat from sight. She stood there helplessly, discouraged by Ritsu's response.

Shaking her head sadly, Mio trudged up the stairs to retrieve her beloved bass that she had left outside the music room before taking off after the tawny haired girl.

_Maybe staying away from each other is the best thing to do after all._


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: This chapter had originally been too long, so I've split it into two parts. Meh, this isn't my best chapter either. But stay tuned for the next one! More attempted angst coming your way. Special thanks to reviewers and their encouragements! They're the fuel responsible for spurring us on! Consider this as a mini gift for the unlucky ones stuck at home during Christmas? On that note: Have a very merry Christmas, everyone! HOHOHO.  
>Oh, and a small heads up, if any of you guys are interested: My beta and I are going on holidays; and we'll be Internet-less for a couple of weeks. I'm aiming to update the next chapter by 15th January. (Mio's birthday, folks!)<em>

_B/N: Hello everyone, I sincerely hope you've thoroughly enjoyed yourself reading this chapter, especially the ending ;P I wish you all a very Merry Christmas! Do enjoy the last of the year 2011~!  
>P.S. how about giving my Commando a Christmas Present this year? Simply leave a review and we'll be utterly delighted. Once again, Merry Christmas, everyone!<em>

* * *

><p>Chapter 5.<p>

**Day 3. [Part 1]**

Mugi watched sympathetically at Mio's miserable expression. All morning, the usually diligent girl had been staring—no, boring holes— at the back of Ritsu's poor head instead of the teacher in front of the class.

Infused with many unsaid emotions, the intensity of Mio's gaze was so scorching, to the extent of Mugi feeling the heat emitted all the way from her seat.

Turning her gaze to Yui, Mugi sent her a worried glance; who responded with a reassuring grin.

Meanwhile, just a few seats across and behind, at the corner of the class, Yui could clearly observe Ritsu from her position. This was completely ordinary, but it was the tawny haired girl's eccentric actions that sparked Yui's curiosity.

Ritsu kept tilting her head sideways throughout the class, which seemed highly uncomfortable to Yui at that angle.

_Neck cramp? _Yui questioned in concern. After several more lessons of Ricchan-watching, the guitarist realized gleefully— Ricchan was trying to look at Mio-chan! How cute!

Indeed, Ritsu was trying to steal quick glances at the corner of her eye at none other than the dark haired beauty herself. Her attempt to act as inconspicuously had failed, unbeknownst to her.

Pleased with her observation, Yui beamed happily. _I'll go talk to Ricchan after this._

As if on cue, the bell signaling the end of the day echoed through the hallway. The students stood up, thanking the teacher while several students hastily exited the class, eager to go to their respective clubs.

Yui's smile melted into sad confusion.

Ritsu was nowhere in sight.

* * *

><p>Shoulders slumped, Ritsu kept her head down and eyes on her feet as the speed of her pace increased. With her arms tightly by her side and chanting of 'don't run, don't run,' she looked like a constipated robot.<p>

She had been waiting for the bell, and as soon as it rang, she had darted through the maze of her classmates and hurriedly left the room.

Bolting and dodging through the crowd flooding the hallway, she finally made her way to her destination. Inhaling deeply, Ritsu knocked and entered the staffroom.

Sawako looked up in mild surprise at the girl who had wordlessly entered and was now waiting patiently for her to acknowledge her presence. "In trouble again, Ricchan?" Sawako guessed jokingly, trying to reason her student's odd behavior.

"Heh," was all Ritsu said while handing her a pure white envelope.

Delicately ripping the envelope to create an opening, Sawako unfolded the crisp letter. Raising an eyebrow at the professionally cursive handwriting, the teacher skimmed through its contents.

Shoving her hands deeply into her pockets, Ritsu tapped her foot impatiently as she awaited her homeroom teacher's reaction.

After a pregnant pause, Sawako said in a low voice, "...You're not serious."

"Don't worry, I'll visit often," Ritsu offered teasingly, but her auburn eyes showed no traces of humour at all, only… _Grief?_

Sawako just gaped at her with wide eyes, unable to respond.

"Life's a real bitch, Sawa-chan," Ritsu replied half-heartedly, too tired to elaborate. "Well, I've got to get back to the music room." Turning around, she lifted her uninjured hand out of her pocket and waved lazily. "You coming for tea?"

But before Sawako could even reply, the tawny haired girl had already disappeared from sight. The teacher's disbelieving gaze flickered back the sheet of paper in her hands.

Tainaka Ritsu's school withdrawal form suddenly weighed much heavier that before.

* * *

><p>Ritsu's tensed shoulders slackened once she left the staffroom, feeling as if she had just signed her life away. Keeping her emotions in check had been much harder than she had anticipated.<p>

Blinking exhaustedly, she rubbed her eyes and let loose a hefty yawn. She had only managed to get a few hours of sleep the previous night. How could she rest easy, knowing her time left was limited and that she was moving to somewhere completely foreign, where she would have to start and build her whole life once again?

And as if that wasn't enough to handle, Mio was mad at her too; and refused to see her.

Ritsu's jaw tightened at the memory. Was this the same betrayal Mio had felt? In that case, she deserved it too, as punishment for hurting her friend.

With that mindset, Ritsu had responded the same way: By staying away. Mio didn't want to see her face. She had to respect that. It was the least she could do, after causing so much grief.

However, after hours of lying in bed and staring at the ceiling, Ritsu regretted her actions. _Stupid, stupid, stupid. _And she hadn't even apologised! What type of friend was she?

Throat deep in guilt, Ritsu trudged up the stairs glumly. Mio was probably gonna skip practice after school too, so Ritsu had nothing to fear. At least, for now. _I've got to practice on the apology later, _she reminded herself. But first things are first.

She had to break the news to the rest of her band; and she wasn't looking forward to it. Oh, not one bit. How would they respond? Cry? Oh dear, she definitely couldn't handle three crying girls. A Mio was enough.

As her last days of being the president of the light music club were coming to an end; she was determined to spend as much time as she could with her band. Including Mio.

_I'm sorry, Mio, but you'll just have to cope with me for a few more days. After that… after that, you won't have to see me anymore._

* * *

><p>"Hey, Mugi-chan?"<p>

"Hm?" the part Finnish blonde hummed thoughtfully in reply, engrossed in sweeping the floor.

Yui had been chosen for cleaning duty, and Mugi had volunteered to assist, to speed up the process.

Opting to sweep after deciding that Yui with a broom wasn't exactly the best idea (and might cause unnecessary destruction), Mugi left Yui in charge of cleaning the blackboard.

The guitarist had readily agreed. And so the two parted, dutifully immersed in their jobs.

"When are they going to make up?" Yui's words echoed in the deserted classroom.

Mugi immediately knew who Yui was referring to. "I'm not quite sure, it depends on them."

"But they love each other." Yui stated matter-of-factly.

How did that have anything to do with the situation?

"Of course they do, Yui-chan. They've been friends since elementary," Mugi responded absentmindedly, sparing one last glance around to see if she had missed anything.

"I meant love love, Mugi-chan."

_Wait, what?_

At this, Mugi turned around to face the guitarist, her ocean blue eyes wide with disbelief. "What do you mean by that?" the blonde asked carefully.

Yui shrugged. "It's hard to explain, but I'm sure you know what I mean. You can see it in the way they look at each other."

_Could it be?_

"They're the happiest when they're together." Yui frowned, realising what she had just said wasn't a proper answer. Struggling for the right words, Yui continued, "They're like a jigsaw puzzle that just clicks together."

Mugi smiled at the guitarist's analogy. So, even Yui noticed. Mugi was usually not a person quick to judge another, but the surprisingly observant girl had caught her offguard.

Indeed, Mio and Ritsu had always been there for each other. They knew each other inside out, an outcome from their longtime friendship.

Ritsu's outgoing personality did scare Mio at first, but the bassist had slowly, but steadily, warmed up to her persistence and gradually welcomed the impulsive, rowdy girl into her small and quiet world (which wasn't quite so quiet any more).

The thought of the two ever ending up together romantically would be a laugh towards to an outsider. It seemed so 'wrong', sexuality discrimination aside. They were constantly bickering— Ritsu scaring the wits out of Mio, and the latter responding violently with a fist.

They seemed more like enemies, if anything else.

However, friends and family could clearly see they were so 'right' together. With Ritsu's healthy dose of harmless teases and Mio's (painful) physical contact, the two seemed perfect together.

You could feel their happy glow radiating brightly. It was a strange way to show affection, indeed. SM? Mugi giggled at the thought, more amused than surprised.

Yes, they were total opposites— completely incompatible. It seemed impossible for a friendship to even bloom; as both were owners of strong individual personalities that clashed head on.

Fire and Ice.

Fiery, enthusiastic Ritsu and the cool, mature Mio. If both elements were to ever meet, both would cancel each other out and introduce a completely different element: water.

The Dragon and Tiger.

The majestic tiger: A proud feline known for its aggression and unrelenting attacks, which were usually bulldozing its opponent down. Meanwhile, the dragon: The mystic, wise creature known for its circular flexible attacks that embodies more of a defensive nature.

Often used as symbols of philosophy, the eternal rivalry of strength these legendary beasts shared represented the balance of power.

Yin and Yang.

Without each other, both would cease to exist. Neither would be who they were today.

With their constant diehard loyalty to each other that neither would ever admit; they clicked so well in a way that no one would expect, with each other's strength overriding the other's weakness.

Not only were they perfect and just absolutely adorable for each other, you could see how each other's presence would dramatically affect the other.

It was so obvious both loved each other more than just a friend, or a sister. However...

Mugi sighed sadly. "They just haven't realized it yet."

* * *

><p>Much to Azusa's surprise, she had been the first one to arrive in the clubroom. She had been so sure she was going to be late, too.<p>

Surveying the empty room, she realized it was indeed, empty. There were no schoolbags on the usual bench; and absolutely no sign of movement.

Or so she thought.

As Azusa moved to set down her belongings, and almost jumped out of her skin.

Upon her arrival, she had failed to notice the dark figure crouched beside Ton-chan's tank.

"Mio-sen...pai?" Azusa asked uncertainty, not quite sure what to say.

"Azusa," Mio murmured in acknowledgement, staring intently at the pseudo turtle.

At that exact moment, the doors opened, and none other that the club president entered herself.

Auburn and grey clashed for a split second, before the two girls hastily turned away at the exact same time.

Azusa watched in mild fascination as Ritsu's facial expression morphed from disbelief, fear to discomfort. This was the first time she had seen her tawny haired senpai so uncomfortable.

Judging by her panicked expression, Ritsu looked like a deer startled by headlights— completely unprepared.

"Ritsu-senpai," she greeted, deciding to act casual.

Ritsu swallowed nervously before replying, "Hey."

A pregnant pause followed. Okay, so acting casual wouldn't be as easy as she thought it'll be.

"Um, aren't you going to come in?" Azusa asked, more out of desperation to break the ice.

A sheepish smile. "Ah, right."

Silence fell upon the room once again, as Ritsu shuffled unsteadily towards her Yamaha drumset. Sluggishly, she meddled with the cymbals after brandishing her drumsticks.

This was unusual itself, as the first thing Ritsu would do was to chuck her bag down and demand for cake.

Ritsu's actions triggered Mio to unzip her instrument case, revealing her precious Elizabeth before standing up stiffly.

Mugi and Yui-senpai had warned Azusa that their bassist and drummer weren't on the best of terms beforehand. Witnessing theirs previous quarrel was frightening enough. But this..?

This was the last thing Azusa had been expecting.

After mentally prepping herself for another rerun of their previous fallout (with her pair of cat ears on standby), Azuza was definitely not prepared for the deafening silence and the events that followed soon after.

Ritsu and Mio were obviously trying to avoid sharing eye contact. At the same time, however, they seemed curious of how each other was faring.

Coincidentally turning around at the same time, their eyes met again. Grey clashed with auburn again, but didn't break contact this time. Instead, they seemed to be sharing an intense conversation that didn't involve a single word.

Azusa deadpanned. _What's with this ridiculously awkward atmosphere? _It felt as if she was smack-dab in the middle of a lovers' quarrel; with her role as the middle wheel.

Busying herself by unpacking her beloved Mustang, the guitarist tried not to stare.

Unsure of what to do, Azusa decided not to interfere just yet and to go with the flow, since oddly enough, they seemed willing to practice— not that she had any complaints.

As she tuned her instrument, she couldn't help but notice how the staredown stubbornly continued at the corner of her eyes, with both parties waiting for the other to make the first move.

To say Azusa felt out of place was a huge understatement. The heavy atmosphere didn't help. _I'll just make an excuse and say I left something in class,_ Azusa thought, desperate to give her senpais space. _Then they'll talk and sort out whatever issue they're sharing.  
><em>  
>Nodding to herself, Azusa decided that was the best idea. "Um," she spoke up meekly, breaking the silence, "I left my—"<p>

"Cake-chan, I'm coming~!"

An enthusiastic Yui, followed by Mugi, bounded through the doors, eager for her daily dose of sweets.

Mio and Ritsu immediately jerked their gazes away, cheeks tinted red.

Mugi frowned as Yui tilted her head sideways in confusion.

"Did we interrupt something..?"

Azusa resisted the urge to do a facepalm.

* * *

><p>In the end, band practice failed to commence.<p>

Upon arrival, Yui had plonked onto the nearest chair and sat there, gleefully waiting for her dear cake-chan.

Azusa took her usual spot while Mugi claimed the seat next to Yui, forcing the remaining two members to grudgingly sit next to each other.

As the other three sipped their tea; Mio shot an expectant glance towards the drummer, who responded with an indignant "What?"

It was the first word directed to Mio the whole day.

Mio rolled her eyes in exasperation and nudged her side sharply. "You know what."

That had also been the first physical contact they had shared the whole day, after avoiding each other like the plague.

"Ah," Ritsu realized. "That."

She looked so horribly devastated that Mio couldn't help but to feel protective. Edging her chair closer to Ritsu's, the dark haired girl reached for the other's hand. Gently grasping Ritsu's bandaged hand, she urged encouragingly, "Tell them."

Ritsu had previously tensed up when the dark haired girl edged closer, but her expression softened after Mio's attempt of consolation. Exhaling deeply, Ritsu shot her childhood friend a grateful smile and nodded.

The other three had been shocked at Mio's sudden display of affection, but couldn't help but to crack a smile at the bond the two shared.

However, the bassist was never the type to display such affection in public. Just what had happened? And how dire was it? The disturbing thought had caused Azusa and Mugi to shift uneasily. Even Yui sensed something wrong, proven by the slight frown on her features.

And Ritsu spilled out everything.

Eyes wide, Mugi covered her dropped jaw with her hand in horror.

Yui gradually grew more serious, an uncharacteristic look compared to her usual happy-go-lucky expression.

Azusa wasn't faring that well, either. The poor girl had paled drastically.

Like a broken dam, her thoughts, despair, hopelessness— all of Ritsu's pent up emotions gushed out, overwhelming her audience.

Yet, she didn't shed a single tear.

The same thing couldn't be said for Mio, however.

Standing up abruptly, Mio muttered hoarsely, "Toilet," before bolting out of the clubroom. Ritsu jumped to her feet, concern laced on her face. She took a hesitant step forward, her expression conflicted.

"I'll go," Mugi said softly, shooting Azusa and Yui a 'talk-to-Ritsu' look before she left.

After the blonde retreated from sight, Ritsu collapsed back on her seat and laid her cheek against the table, refusing to look at anyone.

Azusa and Yui sank back down onto their respective seats, still absorbing what just happened.

"…Ritsu-senpai, why didn't you chase after her?"

"You don't know anything," she snarled defensively.

Azusa shrunk back involuntarily. She had never been at the receiving end of Ritsu's wrath; who was usually laid-back, without a care of the world.

Unexpectedly, Yui came to her rescue.

"Ricchan," she chided sternly. "Don't take it out on Azunyan."

Ritsu flinched. "Sorry. Didn't mean to snap at you."

"It's alright," Azusa replied, slightly shaky. Making a mental note to never mess with either of her senpais, she continued, "Did something happen between you two? Other than your..." Azusa trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

"I broke her," Ritsu said softly, her expression sad and regretful. "I broke my best friend's heart."

* * *

><p>Except for a single occupied cubicle, the queer silence in the empty toilet was slightly off.<p>

Tentatively, Mugi called out, "Mio-chan?"

"Please go back," was the anguished reply.

Mugi didn't reply. Instead, she just crouched down next to the locked door. Through the gap below, she could see Mio's rear and feet. Judging from that position, her friend must be curled in the corner, back against the door.

Hm, she couldn't hear any sobbing.

"Mio-chan... Are you angry at Ricchan?"

"...W-What?" Mio croaked at the unexpected question.

There was a small silence, and Mugi assumed that her words had caught Mio completely offguard.

"N-No! God no, I'm not angry at her."

"But you're acting like it," Mugi pointed out sadly.

"No!" Mio denied frantically, shaking her head. "No, no, no..." she repeated, with every 'no' getting softer and duller.

It seemed like her words had pierced through Mio, too.

"Mio-chan, unlock the door."

"No," Mio whimpered.

"Please, I only want to help you; but I can't do that if you won't let me in."

"There's n-nothing you can do, Mugi."

"I may not be able to stop her from going," Mugi admitted, "But I can try to ease your pain a little."

A hesitant pause, before the red 'occupied' switched to a green 'vacant' and an audible click was heard.

The door slid open, and Mugi almost crumbled at the pitiful sight in front of her.

With her arms tightly wrapped around herself, Mio was trembling so hard; her whole body was spazzing violently. Her stormy grey eyes were glazed and empty, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

She made no sound, yet the tears continued to fall.

Dropping to her knees, the blonde lurched forward, embracing her friend. She felt her own eyes stinging with tears as well.

"I-I don't want to say goodbye... I don't w-want her to go. I'm s-scared, Mugi..." Mio stammered, trying to speak as clearly as she could without her silent hiccups getting in the way.

"What are you scared of?"

"I-I can't live without her."

Cradling Mio's head in her arms, Mugi hushed her friend gently. "She isn't going forever," she reminded her friend quietly.

"I k-know that," Mio replied weakly, "But knowing that she won't be with us... That we can't do the things we always do together..."

"We don't want her to go as well," Mugi agreed sadly. "But shouldn't you be trying spend as much time with Ricchan instead of avoiding her?"

"It's for the b-best," Mio choked out. "It'll be easier to say g-goodbye."

"The best... For who?"

Mio fell silent, her whole body still shaking.

"Don't you want your last memories with her to be happy ones?"

"I-I can't even l-look at her without thinking she's not going to be by my s-side anymore..."

Grabbing Mio's shoulders, she shook the girl gently. "Mio-chan, look at me."

Mio sniffed, and hesitantly looked up into the sapphire blue eyes, which were also wet with tears.

"There is nothing to gain by avoiding her. You know that."

"I... But... You don't understand, Mugi, it's much more complicated..."

"It's only complicated because you want it to be. There's always another way."

Mio shook her head miserably. "She's a-avoiding me too."

Pulling out a convenient handkerchief, Mugi dabbed the dark haired girl's cheeks dry of tears. "Talk to Ricchan. Sort it out, before it's too late. Don't regret your choices, Mio-chan."

The blonde stood up and offered her hand. Gratefully, Mio took the hand and was pulled to her feet.

"Shall we go back to the clubroom?"

Mio nodded timidly.

* * *

><p>"Broke her?" Azusa echoed.<p>

Ritsu's shoulders slumped glumly. "She's mad at me... She probably hates me now," Ritsu mumbled, in the midst of self-loathing.

She looked up, her gaze cheerless and uncertain. "Are you guys mad at me too?"

"Angry? Why should we be?" Azusa had never seen Ritsu so insecure.

"I'm ditching you guys —"

"We could never hate you! Mio-chan too!" Yui declared out of the blue.

"Yui-senpai's right," Azusa reinforced firmly. "You're just being silly now. This isn't your fault, Ritsu-senpai."

"But —"

This time, it was Azusa's turn to cut Ritsu off. "Mio-senpai's coped with you for so many years; she can't hate you so easily."

"Gee, thanks," Ritsu replied dryly, but a hint of her usual grin had started to seep through.

"You and Mio-chan belong together!" Yui continued loudly.

Azusa and Ritsu both shot the brunette a puzzled look, both uncertain of what the guitarist meant and how it was related to their topic of discussion.

"What are you talking about, Yui-senpai?"

"Yes, what are you talking about, Yui?"

Yui grinned. "Ricchan and Mio-chan are meant to be!"

Unable to comprehend Yui's words, Azusa rolled her eyes, assuming that her senpai was just playing around as usual. "Anyway, Ritsu-senpai, I'm sure she doesn't hate you."

"But then why is she avoiding me?"

"Weren't you doing the same?" Azusa countered curiously.

Ritsu swallowed. "Ah. But she started it—"

"You're not listening to me!" Yui insisted stubbornly.

"Stop interrupting me, damnit!"

Yui held out her hands, her fists closed except for her index fingers sticking out. "This is Mio-chan," she explained, wiggling her left finger, "And this is Ricchan." She wiggled the other finger, before intertwining both of them. "Taadah!"

"What?" Azusa and Ritsu chorused in bewilderment, more lost than before.

"You guys are perfect for each other," Yui finished softly, with a proud smile.

"Yui-senpai, what are you saying?" Azusa demanded exasperatedly, still just as lost.

Ritsu fell silent, her auburn eyes wide with shocked comprehension.

"Are you trying to say—"

As the finishing blow, Yui announced, "Ricchan and Mio-chan are gonna have lots of babies together!"

The tips of Ritsu's ears immediately reddened. "WHAT?"

Azusa raised an eyebrow, still not certain with what was happening around her. "That's not possible, Yui-senpai. You'll need a sperm carrier to create a baby, and neither—"

There was a loud creak, startling the occupants of the music room; notifying the arrival of someone.

The conversation between the three was dropped, as their gazes turned to the entrance.

There stood an agitated dark haired girl and a calm blonde. Mio was intensely nerve wrecked, and looked as though she would run away at the slightest sound. Mugi, however, seemed to have a firm grip on the other's sleeve, preventing any escape. "We're back," Mugi called out. "And there's something Mio-chan wants to say."

At the mention of her name, Mio shot a quick nervous glance at Ritsu.

The tawny haired girl herself was rigidly frozen, looking just as panicky and uneasy.

Mugi cleared her throat cutely. "Ahem. We'll take our leave now."

Coincidentally, Ritsu and Mio were the first ones to move towards the door. The blonde grabbed both their arms, pulling them to a halt. "Not you two!"

Azusa took the hint, and grabbed Yui. "Yeah, we'll go home first. See you tomorrow, senpai!"

And with that, the three made their exit, slamming the door behind them.

This left Mio and Ritsu. In the clubroom. Alone.

An audible click echoed, signaling that they had just been locked in.

Rushing to the door, Ritsu grabbed the doorknob and twisted it vigorously, but to no avail. "How the heck did Mugi get the key to this door? !"

Worriedly, Mio called out, "Mugi, let us out!"

Instead of the blonde, Yui replied. "Not until you and Ricchan kiss and make up!"

The occupants of the room erupted into the shade of tomato red and started stammering incoherent sentences.

"What Yui-senpai meant was to clear up misunderstandings!"

"No, Azunyan, I meant—"

A muffled yelp.

"Just ignore us, Mio-chan, Ricchan! Continue whatever you were doing!"

Ritsu shuffled her feet awkwardly; while Mio tried not to fidget.

"Guess we don't have a choice," Ritsu started nervously. "So, uh. Can we talk?"


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: This is a rather cruel dedication for Mio's birthday... Sorry, Mio. _

_Anyway, a huge thanks to those who reviewed; and those who acknowledged my beta's essential involvement! We've only made it this far because of you guys. :)_

_Disclaimer: K-ON! belongs to Kakifly._

* * *

><p>Chapter 6.<p>

**Day 3. [Part 2]**

With their ears pressed firmly against the door, the trio struggled to catch bits of the conversation going on inside.

Azusa had been hesitant about eavesdropping, though Yui managed to convince the younger guitarist that it was just to check on Mio and Ritsu's progress.

Mug's eyebrows furrowed with concentration, slightly disappointed from being unable to hear anything.

They were either talking _really _softly... Or not talking at all.

Yui turned to the blonde, a small frown adorning her features.

_She must have thought the same thing too, _Mugi thought, with new profound respect for the brunette.

"Mugi-chan, are they making babies?"

_Or not._

"I don't think they're making babies just yet," Mugi explained to a disappointed Yui. "However, we can help quicken the process for them to get to that stage."

Meanwhile, Azusa had given up trying to understand what her senpais were conversing about.

"How?" Yui pressed on inquisitively.

"By—"

"Shush! They're talking!"

Astonished, Mugi and Yui turned to Azusa, only to find her pumped and keenly listening to the ongoing conversation in the music room.

Yui beamed while Mugi suppressed a giggle. Looks like Azusa is in it too!

* * *

><p>"So, uh. Can we talk?"<p>

Mio nodded.

Ritsu couldn't help but painfully notice how puffy and bloodshot Mio's grey eyes were.

Her gaze flickered back to the door. Lowering her voice, she asked, "Wanna get out of here first?"

Mio caught her drift and nodded again. Realizing that Ritsu might start thinking she's mute, she asked timidly, "What do you have in mind?"

Ritsu gave her a lopsided grin. All the previous tension had momentarily disappeared. It was hard not to be yourself around the person that had been there for you for most of your life.

"Here's the game plan, with freedom 100% guaranteed," Ritsu whispered confidently. "We'll escape through the window!"

Cue stunned silence.

"We're on the third floor!" Mio protested heatedly. "Do you want to kill us both?"

Clamping a hand over Mio's mouth, Ritsu pressed her index finger against her own lips. "Shush," she hissed, "Or they'll hear us!"

Mio continued talking, her indignant sentences muffled.

"Okay okay, Plan B. Don't get your knickers in a twist, geez."

At the mention of her underwear, Mio transformed into a bright, stuttering tomato.

"Calm down!" Ritsu said exasperatedly, but she was smiling fondly. "Alright, new plan. We'll—"

The door creaked open, and Yui's head peeked out at the small opening. Below her, Azusa's head popped into view; while Mugi's at the top. The three had been extremely curious on whatever that was occurring in the clubroom; and couldn't resist but to sneak a quick look for themselves.

"If you don't claim Mio-chan; you might lose her to someone else!" Yui proclaimed, firmly set on getting the role as godmother of Ritsu and Mio's future children.

Ritsu felt a sudden surge of protectiveness flare at once. "What do you mean?"

"Mio-chan's pretty popular," Mugi agreed.

"How is that related?" Mio demanded, uncomfortable with the attention and being the topic of discussion.

Sensing Mio's agitation, Ritsu was just as eager to get away from the ongoing conversation which was becoming increasingly stranger and stranger. She was also determined to sort out the unspoken thoughts between her and Mio— somewhere quieter and more peaceful.

"Let's get out of here," she declared impulsively, grabbing Mio's hand and making a bolt for the door.

After years of experiencing Ritsu's spontaneous actions, Mio instantly caught on and allowed herself to be dragged off, tightly gripping onto Ritsu's hand.

"They're getting away!" Yui whined in disdain at the two disappearing from sight. "Should we follow them?"

Mugi shook her head. "We've accomplished our mission."

"We have?"

The blonde nodded, happy with the results. "I'm sure they'll talk everything out." She turned to Azusa, who had quietened down after the departure of the drummer and bassist.

"Azusa-chan, are you okay?"

Azusa looked up despondently. "Ritsu-senpai's going to Italy, huh?" she remarked softly.

The once carefree atmosphere turned grim instantly.

"Yeah," Yui replied in an equally soft tone.

"What's going to happen to the band? School? Us?"

"We'll just have to carry on the best we can," Mugi answered gravely, "And pray for the best."

A heavy silence followed, with all the girls looking miserable. "Let's just go home and try not to think too much about it, okay?"

A weak nod. "Yeah! Let's go eat at the new cake place, Azunyan!"

"Yui-senpai, too much cake isn't healthy!"

"Just this once!" she said enthusiastically, "I know you love cake just as much as I do~"

"Don't compare me with you!" was the indignant reply.

Yui had already pulled Azusa down the first flight of stairs, and realised they were missing someone. "Aren't you coming, Mugi-chan?" she hollered, her voice echoing in the corridor.

Leaning over the stair handrail, Mugi shot them an apologetic look. Drowning their sorrows in cake sounded fun, but, "Sorry, I've got to take care of something first."

"Aw," Yui pouted unhappily. "Are you sure? Cake-chan's waiting for you too!"

"I'll join you next time, okay?"

"Mm!" Yui nodded happily at the thought of going to the cake shop again. "I'll see you tomorrow, Mugi-chan!"

The Finnish blonde smiled pleasantly and waved them goodbye.

Yui took off; faster than anyone would have thought was possible for the airheaded guitarist. "Bye, Mugi-senpai!" Azusa managed to called out before getting dragged off. "Yui-senpai, slow down or you'll trip!"

There was a loud thud, followed by a pair of groans. "What did I tell you!"

Mugi looked over the stair handrail again, concerned, but sighed in relief when she saw that the two were unscathed, just tangled in a complicated position. This briefly made Mugi wonder, _how on earth did they end up like that?_

Seeing that her friends were fine, Mugi turned away. A serious expression graced her features as she fished out her cellphone and dialled a certain number.

"Saito-san? I need your assistance. Can you look up the Wakaoujis and find a way to contact them?" A small pause as she listened to her family's butler reply, followed by a hopeful smile. "Thank you very much."

* * *

><p>They kept on walking in silence, both parties uncertain with how to start a conversation. Uncomfortable with the awkward atmosphere brewing, Ritsu unconsciously cracked her knuckles.<p>

The loud popping sound caused Mio to shudder. "Don't do that! You'll get arthritis!" Mio reprimanded immediately, as if on autopilot. After realizing her sudden outburst, Mio's cheeks turned pink.

Ritsu couldn't help but to playfully roll her eyes. "Oh, come on. Don't tell me you still believe that?"

Mio's blush darkened. "Whatever," she said dismissively, but the dark haired girl had cracked a small smile.

They had arrived at a park, which signalled they had to part ways respectively to go home.

This particular park held many precious memories for the two. It was 'the' park, where their friendship had blossomed into what they were now.

Both slowed their paces to a halt. Neither wanted to go home before sorting out everything between them.

"Want a drink?" Ritsu offered, eager to buy time.

"Sure," Mio agreed.

"The usual?"

"Yes please."

"Alright, sit down first," Ritsu gestured towards the park bench. "Drinks on me!"

Arching an eyebrow upwards, Mio nodded disbelievingly.

"I'm serious!" Ritsu insisted.

"Okay okay. I never said you weren't."

Jogging off with a "hmph," Ritsu headed towards the nearest vending machine.

Half a minute later, Ritsu padded back with a sheepish expression. Twiddling her thumbs, she confessed, "I, uh, may have used up all my allowance on that new sweets cafe nearby."

Mio just rolled her eyes.

After take two; where the drinks were on Mio instead, the two had settled onto the bench— at the very ends, leaving a very obvious gap in between them.

The silence hovering around them wasn't as tense as before. It was just... awkward.

Glugging the cold drink down, Ritsu drank as quickly as she could before letting out a satisfied sigh.

Using the silence to gather her thoughts, Mio stalled for time by sipping from her can slowly.

Yes, she had been the one who claimed that she had something to say. But her mind was a complete blank now; and she couldn't recall what she wanted to say. _Where to begin? _Mio thought, truly frustrated. Out of all the times, her brain chose to break down now.

To both of their surprise, Ritsu, beat her to it.

"I'm sorry," she apologized sadly.

"What?" Flabbergasted, Mio asked, "Shouldn't I be saying that?"

Crushing the empty can, Ritsu repeated, "I'm so sorry."

"For what?"

Ritsu's voice was hoarse, overwhelmed with guilt. "For breaking promises. For making you cry. For abandoning you. The list goes on and on, Mio. I've even lost count."

The dark haired girl said nothing, her expression just as pained as she waited for Ritsu to finish speaking. She knew that if she interrupted now, then she would never know her friend's true feelings.

Ritsu couldn't look at Mio in the eye, so she opted to glare at the crushed can instead. "I let you guys down," she murmured sorrowfully, "I-I fail as a friend, as a club president—"

Automatically, Mio reached out for the trembling girl's hand, causing Ritsu to falter in her words.

Ritsu didn't even realise how badly her whole body was shaking until her gaze flickered to Mio's calm, reassuring hand upon her trembling pale fist beneath.

At Mio's affectionate gesture, Ritsu felt a sudden sting in her eyes— a feeling she had not experienced in a long time. Ashamed at her show of weakness, Ritsu kept her head bowed and struggled to contain the teardrops before they slipped down her cheeks.

"T-this wasn't supposed to happen... Everything just spiralled out of control; a-and I couldn't do anything to stop it..."

_She's stuttering,_ Mio thought in amazement. Ritsu had always been so confident and sure of herself, but now... Mio's eyebrows shot up, gobsmacked. _Is she crying..?_

"It's not your fault," Mio said softly, "Don't blame yourself for this."

Realizing her vision was going blurry from her collected tears; Ritsu felt something wet trickle down her cheek. Without warning, she jerked away, redrawing her hand as she abruptly stood up. Taking a few unsteady steps forward, with her hands tightly clenched at her sides and her back facing Mio, Ritsu stood there stiffly; her whole body trembling.

Mio stood up to comfort her friend, but Ritsu's words made her stop in her tracks. "Stay there. I don't want you to look at me right now," Ritsu insisted pleadingly.

Mio faltered, torn between decisions.

As an afterthought, Ritsu choked out, "Please."

After a tense hesitation, Mio grudgingly sat back down with an audible thump, to prove that she was seated.

The auburn haired girl exhaled heavily through her gritted teeth, grateful for Mio's understanding. She took a deep breath…

And screamed.

Startled, Mio almost fell off the bench.

There were no words, just a loud, shrill and heart wrenching yell, which lasted for a good twenty seconds before Ritsu started swearing outrageously.

Her bottled-up stress, frustration, grief and anger poured out like a huge overwhelming wave.

The endless string of swearwords surprised Mio, who was left to ponder if Ritsu had just made up half of the words on the spot or if they really existed.

Out of Mio's line of sight, a few more tears slid down Ritsu's cheek, much to her revulsion. Blinking rapidly, she tried to slow the flow of the incoming tears.

Meanwhile, as Ritsu's cussing began to slow down and slur, Mio felt the ever familiar prick of tears as she watched on sadly. To see her best friend like this, breaking down emotionally, was almost too much to bear.

Accepting the fact that she couldn't hold them back anymore; Ritsu gave in to the scared little girl within her, who had been bursting to resurface the past few days. Legs buckling, Ritsu collapsed on her knees, her back slouched and her head bowed down. With her face just inches away from the ground and her eyes tightly screwed shut, Ritsu's arms were quivering so badly that Mio was amazed she could still hold herself up.

Ritsu's fingers tightened around the tufts of grass, unintentionally ripping them from their roots. "'I don't want to go!" the tawny haired girl cried, screaming at the grass, her right fist pounding the earth violently. "I don't want to go, damnit!"

Warmth enveloped her back; and an arm snaked around her waist, while the other grabbed her right wrist, firmly halting her from hammering the ground. Ritsu thrashed wildly, but the grip on her remained firm and insistent.

"Shhh," Mio murmured calmly, despite Ritsu trying to jerk away, "I've got you."

At her words, a choked sob involuntarily escaped Ritsu's lips. Now subdued to a blubbering mess unable to form coherent sentences, she allowed herself to be pulled into Mio's warm arms.

Mio had been waiting for Ritsu to use up all her energy, as she knew it would be futile to talk to the tawny haired while she was in that state. But when Ritsu started pounding the ground, Mio was unable to take it any longer and stepped in.

The tears were now streaming down like an endless torrent, with Ritsu making no attempt to hold them back anymore. Instead, she buried her face against Mio's chest, not wanting to show her best friend this side of her.

Resting her chin lightly on Ritsu's head, Mio continued to whisper sweet words of comfort.

"Why?" the tawny haired girl sobbed in anguish, "Why? !"

"It's okay. It's okay now, Ritsu," Mio murmured, gently stroking the other's hair.

But both knew it was a lie.

They chose to savour the moment instead, wishing it could last forever.

Both lost track of time as minutes—hours?—passed; until Ritsu ran dry of tears and was too exhausted to continue. Finally calm and inwardly content, she was reduced to a pitiful hiccupping state.

"Ugh, I feel awful," Ritsu complained, sniffing in the process. "I'm never doing that again."

Mio smiled in amusement. "Do you feel better now?"

"Outside? Worse."

Ritsu smiled tenderly at Mio's crestfallen expression. "But inside? I feel freed."

At her words, Mio brightened up instantly.

Indeed, the previous chaos residing within her had been extinguished.

Shifting to a more comfortable position; Ritsu laid down against the grass, with her head resting against her open palms.

Mio followed her lead and did the same, but with her arms sprawled by her side.

Ritsu's left arm slowly inched downwards, reaching for Mio's hand, which earned a fond smile from the dark haired girl.

Their fingers intertwined between each other's; fitting perfectly. In an effort to soothe her friend, Mio rubbed soothing circles across the back of Ritsu's palm.

Holding hands between them weren't unusual; although it got less frequent as they grew up.

Instead of just slipping their hands into each other's, however, the familiar-yet-new gesture felt different—more intimate.

"The sunset today's prettier than before," Ritsu murmured absently.

"Really?" Mio mused. "I wasn't paying attention the last time, I was too busy trying to get you out of the rain."

A bashful chuckle.

"It was raining really heavily that day, though," Mio continued thoughtfully. "Wouldn't the dark clouds be blocking the sky?"

"Eh. Really?"

"Yes, really."

"But I could have sworn..."

"You must've been delirious."

A sheepish smile. "Hey?"

"Yeah?"

"Sorry for the waterworks."

Propping herself up with her elbows, Mio glanced at her friend. Ritsu's eyes were screwed shut, her cheeks slightly pink—from embarrassment?—but her expression was peaceful, the first Mio had seen in days.

"I'm just glad I could help." That was the honest truth.

Ritsu seemed to have sensed the sincerity of her tone, and the edges of her lips lifted into a small smile.

Mio's grey eyes grew glassy as she continued, "But I'm sorry, too."

Eyelids fluttered open, revealing a pair of curious auburn eyes. "For what?"

"I left you. I left you, when you needed me most."

Ritsu stiffened; and screwed her eyes back shut.

She didn't reply immediately.

The worry laced on Mio's face gradually increased. "...Ritsu?"

"...I thought I was going to go insane," she confessed softly. "Learning that I wasn't who I am was hard enough, but watching you avoid me was much harder."

Mio's shoulders slumped, weighed down by guilt.

The tawny haired girl let out a weak sigh, as if sensing the dark haired girl's troubles. "I'm not angry at you, it just hurts to remember. I'm just glad it's over."

The two lapsed into another silence.

"Alright, change of topic. The past's the past."

"But—"

"So, Mio. Have you ever thought about um, dating?"

Ritsu didn't understand why that certain question had been nagging her ever since Yui started the 'Ricchan-and-Mio-chan-are-perfect-for-each-other!' nonsense.

An eyebrow shot up in surprise. "What's with the sudden random topic?"

"Nothing!" Ritsu replied quickly. "Just like, wondering, 'ya know?"

"Totally," Mio said disbelievingly.

Ritsu grunted in annoyance. What nonsensical ideas has Yui fed her now?

Although a little suspicious, Mio considered the question anyway. "Well, I've never really thought about it. I haven't talked to any guys recently."

Ritsu felt as if she had just been stabbed. Why did she feel this way?

"Guys, eh?" Ritsu said uneasily.

"Yeah, guys." Mio raised her other eyebrow in concern. "Are you okay?"

"Of course," Ritsu answered hastily. Why did she feel so betrayed? "So, uh, what's your ideal guy like?"

Mio's expression softened. "Loyal, caring, protective." As an afterthought, she continued softly, "Someone who'll stay by me no matter what."

Ritsu flinched inwardly at her last sentence. "I-I see..."

Mio continued with a faraway look in her eyes, "My ideal prince..."

Ritsu's facial expression hardened. "It's getting late. We should probably go."

Mio watched her friend push herself to her feet, dusting her skirt. In a tone too hushed and sad for Ritsu to hear, she murmured, "...cess."

Noticing that Mio hadn't moved, Ritsu turned back wearily. "You comin'?"

"Yeah," she replied, straightening her crinkled uniform as she stood up.

With the mood now darkened, the two trudged on in silence, both unable to comprehend how their conversation ended up like this.

Ritsu sighed, feeling helpless. Things just weren't going her way at all; and she definitely hadn't spent enough time with her other bandmates, either.

A random thought struck hard, startling her. She hadn't spent _any_ meaningful time with her own family at all!

Mio had been watching Ritsu's expressions change fleetingly, and advised, "Spend as much time with your family as you can."

"You just read my mind," Ritsu replied with a cheerless smile, not even surprised any more. She had been secretly counting down her days left every night, as she lay in bed, dreading the next day that came too rapidly.

Ritsu hadn't told any of her band mates of the date of her flight. No, she was much too afraid to. When asked about it, she would simply respond with a vague "soon."

As if sensing Ritsu's thoughts, Mio asked tentatively, "See you tomorrow?"

Ritsu responded with a grin which seemed far too forced. "You bet'cha."


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: I'm not going to torture you with a crazily long note here; just head on to my profile if you're interested in details~_

_This is to the supportive readers who had alerted, favourited and especially reviewed! I wouldn't have made it this far without you guys. Oh, and you might want to consider rereading the previous chapter, or at least the last few paragraphs— even I couldn't recall a thing._

_WARNING: THIS CHAPTER HAS NOT BEEN BETA-ED FULLY. Read at your own risk. _

* * *

><p>"Wakaouji Company Headquarters. How may I help you?" A feminine voice answered her call. The fact that the lady had spoke in fluent English didn't daunt the caller at all— instead, she was immensely relieved that she hadn't spoken in Italian, a language that the multilingual wasn't familiar with.<p>

"I would like to speak to Mr. Wakaouji, please," the caller replied, in equally fluent English. Although her accent was a little off, her words were clearly pronounced and easy to comprehend.

"My sincerest apologies, but he does not accept calls from the office phone line."

"I have private business with him. Please connect my call to him immediately."

"Mr Wakaouji does not want to be disturbed at the moment. Would you like to make an appointment instead?"

"No, thank you. I would just like to speak to him."

"I'm sorry; miss, but rules are rules. The most I can do is arrange an appointment for you with him, but it's ultimately his decision if he accepts or declines. May I know who I'm speaking to?"

She hated bringing her family name into this, but it seemed as that would be the quickest way to get through the stubborn lady. "Kotobuki."

There was a pregnant pause. "Of Finland?"

"Yes."

An even longer pause followed; and the secretary seemed to be at a loss of what action to take. Should she question for more evidence?

If this was a hoax, her boss wouldn't be too happy with her wasting his time.

But what if this wasn't a hoax? Getting fired for being rude didn't sound too appealing, either.

As if sensing her turmoil, the caller smiled pitifully. "I'll ask my father to speak to you, if you'd like."

"A-ah no, it's quite alright. Please wait a moment," the receptionist replied, attempting to sound as dignified.

"Thank you," she responded gratefully, albeit a little guilty for springing at the lady like that.

The call succumbed into a thirty second dead silence, which left the caller wondering if the lady had lied. Just as she was about to redial, the line crackled and a gruff male voice echoed through the receiver.

"Finally considering my business offer, Kotobuki?"

Almost faltering from the booming authoritative tone, she recovered just in time to reply, "Unfortunately, this isn't my father calling."

"Oh? Then who am I speaking to?"

She could sense impatience seeping into his voice. "His daughter," she answered good-naturedly— but firmly at the same time, refusing to be intimidated.

His annoyance was instantly evident. "I'm a busy man, girl. You can't simply call me up whenever you please."

His bored tone was starting to get under her skin. This didn't affect her refined manners and unbending patience, however. Indeed, the ojou-sama had been raised better than that; and to be courteous and gracious at all times.

"But sir, I called with a specific purpose," she replied pleasantly, undeterred.

There was a pause, as if he was considering whether to entertain her request. "Really now?"

"Yes."

"And what may that be?" he asked, curious.

"Not 'what', but 'who'," she corrected politely. "I'm calling in regards of Tainaka Ritsu."

* * *

><p><em><strong><span>Chapter 7<span>**_

**Day 4. [Part 1]**

"Where's Mio?"

Mugi and Yui shot discreet glances—which weren't as discreet as they thought— at each other.

"She should be coming soon," Mugi replied, shifting her gaze to her lunchbox. Her growing smile didn't escape Ritsu's sharp eyes.

Was it just her imagination, or did the blonde seem excited?

"Oh?" Ritsu replied casually, slightly suspicious.

"Yeah," Yui chipped in, swallowing a mouthful of rice, beaming just as widely.

"But lunch's gonna end soon."

"She probably had matters to attend to," Mugi answered smoothly.

"Huh," was Ritsu's response.

Eyeing the two warily, the tawny haired girl wondered what they were plotting.

"She's back!" Yui declared, waving gleefully at the dark haired girl who had just entered the classroom. "Welcome back Mio-channn!"

Her loud holler attracted attention from several classmates nearby, much to Mio's discomfort.

Hunching slightly, Mio quickly strode to her friends, who had joined several tables and were eating lunch together.

"Hey," Mio greeted upon arrival. Turning to Mugi and Yui, she nodded. "It's done."

"What's done?" Ritsu demanded, lost.

"Already?" Mugi looked surprised.

"Azusa helped."

_Azusa __was__ in this too?_

Auburn eyes darted from one to another, seizing her bandmates in disbelief while trying to keep up with the vague conversation. How dare they leave their president out of this! "Helloooo?" Ritsu whined unhappily. "Will someone answer me already?"

"Azunyan's there?"

"Yeah, she's waiting for you guys."

"So it's our turn now?" Mugi questioned.

"Don't ignore me!"

"All yours," Mio confirmed, blatantly ignoring her complaining friend.

"I suppose this is where we excuse ourselves then." Mugi flashed an apologetic glance towards the drummer.

"We'll leave Ricchan in your care!" Yui singsonged, already prancing towards the door.

Picking up Yui's lunch box after her, Mugi gave the two a pleasant departing smile. "We'll see you later."

Mio nodded. "Yeah."

"What's going on?"'Ritsu demanded for the millionth time.

"Have you eaten?"

Ritsu paused briefly at the sudden question. "I had some of Mugi's lunch. Why?"

"Good enough," Mio decided. "Come on." Tugging on Ritsu's arm, she pulled the girl from her chair and started leading her out the room.

"Where're we going?"

"You'll see."

* * *

><p>Ritsu was never one to be easily impressed by scenery. Especially the falling of sakura petals during autumn. Yes, she had been amazed the first time, but the view started losing its initial impact a few autumns later.<p>

Or so she thought.

Standing next to Mio, with the soft pink cherry blossoms drifting around— It felt as if they were no longer within school premises.

Usually there would be other people lingering nearby, but it was completely deserted at that moment.

It wasn't her first time here with Mio, either. She knew her friend loved autumn, and watching the cherry blossom trees is a must every year.

Ritsu didn't understand what's so fascinating with watching leaves fall to the ground. Nevertheless, she never failed to accompany Mio with her leaf-watching; although she usually opted to read manga beside her instead. She would act uninterested, but always watched the bassist inconspicuously behind the pages of her manga.

… So why is this, different compared to her previous experiences?

At the corner of her eye, she noticed Mio's long raven locks ruffle in the light breeze. Her grey eyes were gentle and warm, her gaze fixated on the view before her. A faint smile tugged at her lips, and she seemed lost in thought.

A look of tranquility washed across Mio's features. Although the expression was rarely exhibited in public, it was ever familiar towards a certain tawny haired girl.

Shoulders slackening, Ritsu couldn't help but to relax as well. Bending down, the drummer stretched lazily and plonked her rear on the ground.

"You'll get your uniform dirty," Mio reprimanded half heartedly.

"We've just got one last period left anyway," Ritsu replied dismissively, patting the ground beside her. "Come sit."

There was a brief hesitance, and her grin grew wider as the dark haired girl reluctantly settled next to her, with her knees pulled against her chest.

Their surroundings were stained baby pink; and the soothing silence just added more effect, especially during the current heated crisis of emotional chaos.

For a moment, Ritsu thought the moment was magical.

Just for a mere split second, before inwardly wincing at her corniness. Mio was definitely rubbing off her.

The dark haired girl spared a quick glance at the tawny haired girl. "It's not that cliché."

... Mio was definitely spending too much time with her, too.

Frowning slightly, Ritsu wondered if she was really that predictable.

"You're easy to read," Mio replied absentmindedly, without even looking at her.

Her words caused a half hearted grin to form on her face, reminded of how Mio had said the exact same thing a few days back, but felt like eons ago.

Another breeze stirred, scattering several loose cherry blossoms.

Delicately, Mio plucked a fallen petal that had landed near her feet and smoothed it evenly with her thumb. "Impulsive, and always too hyper," she continued in a murmur.

Ritsu understood then; the reason she had been brought here.

"We're suppose to graduate next year," Mio stated softly, her gaze drifting after the floating cherry blossoms. "Together."

Ritsu stared at the ground miserably. "I know," she whispered.

They lapsed into a brooding silence, mourning inwardly and dreading the future to come.

"When?" Mio breathed out, her voice shaky.

The million dollar question.

Ritsu stayed silent. She knew the dark haired girl wasn't going to like the answer.

"When?" Mio asked again, in a more demanding tone.

One day. She had just one day left. Literally, as she had exactly no more than 26 hours left. How could she tell her best friend that?

"You don't wanna know," Ritsu croaked weakly.

"It's not a matter of want, Ritsu." Mio shot back, almost savagely. "I _need_to know."

Ritsu flinched at the sharp intensity of her voice.

Mio seemed surprised at her previous tone, which had came out harsher than she had expected. In a defeated tone, Mio mumbled, "I need to know how much time I have left with you."

"You make it sound like I'm gonna die." Ritsu's chuckle seemed far too forced.

"Don't simply say things like —" Mio's serious expression vanished, and a petrified look replaced it instead. Her stormy grey eyes were focused on something behind the tawny haired girl's shoulder. "… Oh, God."

"What?" Ritsu asked, twisting around in alarm.

And she saw him.

_Him._

Again? A sense of dread washed over her as he strode closer. What was he doing at her school!

She could feel her palms moistening with sweat. What else could he possibly want? He had taken everything of hers already.

"Good day," the foreign lawyer greeted, his expression betraying no emotion.

"Nice to see you again," Ritsu shot back sarcastically, obviously unhappy with his presence. "What else do you want to take from me now?"

"I wish to speak with you privately," he replied, suppressing an uneasy twitch at her choice of words.

"No," Mio butted in softly, but her voice was firm. "I'm not leaving her with you."

Ritsu felt something warm stir in her chest. Due to her shy nature, her best fried had never been the best at sticking up for herself or others, especially against strangers.

Although it wasn't entirely obvious, Mio's bottom lip was quivering. But Ritsu could sense the dark haired girl's lack of confidence within herself and her anxiety of the current situation.

"Don't worry bout me," she murmured. She didn't want Mio anywhere near the man; and out of his sight as quickly as possible.

"But—"

"I'll be fine, really."

"I'm not letting you out of my sight," Mio insisted stubbornly.

"This isn't the time to argue," Ritsu countered, patience running thin. Couldn't Mio understand how she didn't want the dark haired girl to get involved into this?

"Exactly," Mio shot back, just as unwilling to back down.

Ritsu huffed. "Look—"

"I _said_I'm not letting you out of my sight."

Combined with the intensity of her tone and her fiercely defiant eyes, Ritsu faltered involuntarily.

There was a tensed pause as Ritsu weighed the pros and cons of the different methods she could react.

She knew Mio would usually give in to her whining, so her best friend must be really serious now.

Sighing in defeat, Ritsu lowered her voice so that only Mio could hear, "Okay, okay. Just wait for me there, alright?" she compromised, gesturing to the bench twenty feet away— close enough to be in sight of each other; but out of hearing distance.

Mio hesitated. Since all her life, she knew her best friend was never one to back down easily. Looking as though she was about to argue back, Mio changed her mind at the last moment. "Don't take too long."

Ritsu felt the edges of her lips curve into an amused smile. "Anything for you, princess."

Mio huffed, and brushed past Ritsu, making her way to the bench. Despite the anxiety etched all over her features, her expression had softened at the petname.

Ritsu's smile faded as she turned her attention back to the foreign man in front of her. "What do you want?"

"You're acquaintances with the heir of the Kotobuki clan?"

"… What about her?"

"Your father would like you to restrain your friend."

Her puzzlement vanished, and her expression hardened. "He isn't my father. And don't speak of Mugi like a dog," she hissed.

Ignoring the venom in her tone, he continued, "I know you refuse to acknowledge him as your father, but you might as well accept that you're his daughter."

A growl formed at the back of Ritsu's throat. "You have no right to tell me what to do."

Ignoring her reply, he continued, "She called your father last night."

"Why would she?"

The lawyer sighed. "Your father is not pleased."

"… What does Mugi want from him?"

"You," he answered plainly.

Ritsu blinked. "...Huh?"

"She plans to fight for your custody in court."

Auburn eyes widened in disbelief, and Ritsu felt a flare of hope—something she hadn't experience in days.

Catching on to her expression, he quickly warned, "Don't get your hopes up."

"And you came all the way to tell me this?" A visible smirk was gradually growing upon her features.

"Oh, no. I've been ordered to ask you to make Tsumugi-sama step down."

"Oh? Scared that Mugi'll kick your boss's ass?" A large victorious grin was stretching across her features now; and she couldn't wait to go back and kiss the floor below Mugi's feet.

"I don't believe for one second that Wakaouji-sama would lose."

"Bring it on, then," Ritsu challenged.

"I believe Wakaouji-sama wants to avoid the worst possible scenario. The Kotobukis are valuable assets to his company as well," he said thoughtfully. "The economy isn't faring as well recently, and hiring lawyers and solicitors would be unnecessarily costly."

"So we've got an advantage," Ritsu deduced smugly. Feeling much more confident, she risked a glance towards her friend and noticed Mio nervously pulling the edge of her skirt, staring back worriedly.

The tawny haired girl wanted nothing more than to end the discussion quickly and celebrate the good news with Mio before dashing off to Mugi to thank her profusely.

Noticing the direction of her gaze, the foreigner remarked plainly, "That girl's special to you." It wasn't phrased as a question; but more of an observation.

Ritsu shrugged, uninterested. Deep down, she was deathly afraid of revealing her loved ones to the man.

"Wakaouji-sama does not wish to be at the end of a dispute with the Kotobukis. He would like to end the disagreement with them as soon a possible."

"... So you want me to call Mugi off?" She asked, her teeth gritted.

"In simpler terms, yes."

"And if I refuse?"

"It would be a shame if the Akiyamas were to suddenly run out of business, wouldn't it?"

Ritsu felt her blood run cold.

She wasn't always the brightest kid in the block; but it didn't take much to notice the not-so-subtle-threat underlining his words. "... You're kidding."

He merely raised an eyebrow. "Is that really what you think?"

Her insides kept growing colder and colder.

"Never underestimate your family, kid," he continued, shaking his head sadly, almost mockingly.

Standing her ground, she stared at him wordlessly, refusing to show weakness. Her features remained neutral; although her gaze had hardened. Unbeknownst to both of them, her toes had curled up tightly in agitation.

"She's not the only one. We know Hirasawa Yui and Nakano Azusa."

She felt her fingernails digging into her palm, and her lips pull back into a snarl.

"Anything could happen, really," he hinted. "Job loss, bankruptcy, forced migration—"

It took all of her willpower to prevent herself from pouncing on the man and bashing the living daylights out of him.

"And you'll be the reason cause of all that."

And she lost it.

Without warning, Ritsu sprang forward, slamming her tightly clenched fist with as much strength she could muster straight into the man's nose.

There was a sickening crunch as the foreigner spluttered in disbelief and stumbled backwards; his body swaying unsteadily for a moment.

His hand flew up to his face to tenderly touch his nose to assess the damage, but immediately winced upon contact. Staring at the blood smeared on his fingers, he gaped at her, dumbstruck.

Ritsu looked nowhere satisfied, however. "Touch them and I'll come after you myself," she snarled viciously. Her features were still contorted in rage, while her crazed auburn eyes scrutinized him as she drew her other arm back for another strike.

... The blow never came.

A firm hand grabbed her raised fist, while another arm wrapped around Ritsu's waist, tugging the tawny haired girl to retreat.

"Lemme go!" Ritsu hissed, clawing at Mio's grip in an attempt to free herself.

Gingerly holding his nose, the Italian man grunted. He had regained his composure and seemed unfazed, much to Ritsu's annoyance.

But when Mio intervened, she noticed his tense shoulders slack in relief, giving her a small sense of triumph.

"Ritsu!" Mio half yelled pleadingly. "Calm down!"

Her words delivered the opposite effect however, much to Mio's dismay, as Ritsu spat at his direction in distaste, her body still shaking stiffly in rage.

"You should leave," Mio warned. She didn't hide her obvious disapproval towards the man for provoking her friend. "I don't think I can hold her down any longer."

The lawyer looked troubled, but had an amused look nevertheless. "I've done my job," the man said softly, his voice a little nasally. "Don't blame me when the lives of your loved ones are destroyed."

And as if nothing had happened, he turned around and walked off.

* * *

><p>As soon as the man disappeared out of their range of sight, Ritsu calmed down tremendously.<p>

Quieting down almost immediately, Ritsu sat down shakily, her hands slightly trembling. In a not-very-successful attempt to keep herself busy, she started ripping the grass within her reach out of the ground.

Mio tried interrogating her to find out what had happened, but the drummer had refused to share any details.

Instead, she just stared into space blankly and occasionally murmured several unintelligible phrases.

Ritsu's actions left Mio at a complete loss. What could the man have possibly said for her to react so violently?

_"Don't blame me when the lives of your loved ones are destroyed."_

His parting sentence chilled the bassist to the bone. Mio immediately regretted leaving her best friend alone with the man, even though it was the lawyer who had gotten injured.

The chime of the school bell echoed, interrupting her train of thought and signaling the end of lunch.

Ritsu didn't show any signs of acknowledgement; still lost in her maze of thoughts.

"I'm not going to let them hurt you," Ritsu mumbled, her voice barely audible.

"What?" Mio felt bad for asking her to repeat, but she didn't manage to catch Ritsu's previous sentence due to her low voice.

"Let's go back to class," Ritsu straightened up, her expression unreadable.

"... Seriously?" Mio was gobsmacked. How could she still go to class after what happened?

Ritsu gave a small nod and pushed herself up, not bothering to brush the grass off her skirt.

Mio stared at the drummer's back, speechless.

* * *

><p>After separating to their respective classrooms and apologizing for being tardy, Ritsu ignored the curious glances of her classmates as she sat down.<p>

With her thoughts completely jumbled, she stared at the blackboard blankly.

The only reason she had suggested them to go back to class was because she didn't want Mio to worry anymore, especially after her little aggressive showcase.

She didn't know what to think. What to do.

But what if… Just, _what if_, Mugi managed to win over her custody? Her life would continue on as per normal; and she wouldn't even have to think of leaving her band ever again. She could continue goofing off with her band, playing music together... She wouldn't even have to leave Mio. Yes, of course it was tempting. _Really_ tempting.

But what if the Wakaoujis really did keep their word and did something to her friends?

She felt overwhelmingly guilty for even _considering_ allowing Mugi to fight for her custody.

Only the images of her beloved bandmates getting harmed repeated in her mind.

Over and over.

The constant images got more vivid.

Who gave _her_ the right to put her friends' on the line? What have they ever done to her? Azusa, Mugi, Yui… Mio. All they had ever done was to look out for their irresponsible club president.

In a way, she was almost as bad as the Wakaoujis.

"Enough!" Pushing her chair back sharply, Ritsu stood up abruptly.

Her wild auburn eyes glanced around the room as she trembled in agitation.

Startled, the entire class fell silent at the sudden outburst, including the male teacher, who was new to the school and had been halfway through calling attendance.

Ritsu could feel the surprised gaze of every pair of eyes in the room fall on her.

Jamming her hands deeply into her pockets, Ritsu kept her eyes to the ground as she stiffly, mumbled an apology.

Concerned whispers and curious chatters echoed through the room as Ritsu briskly walked out, leaving the teacher dumbfounded.

With the class in chaos and the teacher trying to calm everyone down, Yui snuck over to Mugi's desk.

Her soft chocolate eyes were blazing with determination.

"Mugi-chan, I'm going after Ricchan. Can you help distract the teacher?"

The blonde nodded worriedly. "I'll try. Update me, okay?"

"Mm, I'll text you!"

"I'll explain the situation to Mio-chan and Azusa-chan. Now hurry, before she's gone!"

Yui nodded in return. "We'll meet up once school ends! See you soon!"

Although the current situation was a completely serious matter; a small moment of excitement flickered within a small part of the keyboardist.

"Hirasawa-san?" The teacher questioned as he realized another one of his students was bounding towards the exit. "Where are you—"

Abruptly, Mugi shot her hand up. "May I speak with you, sir?"

"... Y-yes?"

* * *

><p>"Ricchan, wait!"<p>

The holler echoed through the corridor. It was a miracle that none of the classes checked the loud commotion occurring in the hallways.

Ritsu quickened her pace. She was lucky enough that her teacher hadn't chased after her. "You should be in class."

"So should you!"

"Go back to class, or you'll get into trouble."

"I'm not leaving you!"

Ritsu winced at her loudness, before sighing and slowing down, allowing the guitarist to catch up with her. "I'm not in the mood, Yui."

Panting lightly, Yui shot her a meek smile. "Where are you going then?"

"Home," was the instantaneous reply.

"But... What about after school club activities?"

"I'll..." Ritsu faltered momentarily. Despite wanting to be alone for a while; she didn't want to waste another minute of being with her beloved band. "... Take a nap in the clubroom."

At least by doing that, she could have time to herself to think everything out and avoid talking.

"Ahh." Yui nodded understandingly, following Ritsu towards the staircase. Without warning, she turned and grabbed Ritsu's arm in panic."Wait!" she exclaimed, as if she had suddenly remembered something. "You can't go in there!"

Ritsu blinked at the sudden change in attitude. "Why not?"

Chocolate brown eyes darted from left to right nervously, looking for an excuse. "Uh, because..."

"Because?" Ritsu prodded.

Yui was at a loss for words. "... It's too early!"

"Where else are we supposed to wait then?"

"... We have to wait for the others!" The guitarist insisted, tugging on Ritsu's arm.

"But school doesn't end till about an hour. Where else are we supposed wait!"

"... Here?"

"On the stairs. Uhuh. Not happening." Ritsu tugged back, trying to loosen Yui's grip on her arm. "We'll get caught for sure!"

The drummer shook her head before continuing to walk up the stairs, dragging Yui with her in the process because the stubborn guitarist refused to let go.

"Noo, you can't go in!" Yui said desperately, tugging even harder.

"What's with you!" Ritsu huffed exasperatedly, gripping the stair handrail to prevent herself from being pulled down the steps.

"You gotta listen to me, Ricchan!"

"Are you hiding something from me?"

"You're not listening!"

"You're the one not listening to me!"

Yui darted up a few steps, standing before Ritsu and barricading the staircase with her arms outstretched. "You'll ruin it!"

"Ruin what?" Ducking under Yui's arm, Ritsu started bounding up the stairs, two steps at a time, determined to uncover what she was hiding in the clubroom.

"NOO!" Ritsu's quick reflexes had caught Yui offguard. By the time she had caught up to Ritsu, the drummer was already pushing the double wooden doors open.

Ritsu's jaw dropped.

"What on earth..."

* * *

><p>Amidst all the chaos back in the classroom, Mugi had walked up to the teacher in front of the class.<p>

_"Can you help distract the teacher?"_

Just how was she going to 'distract' the teacher?

She couldn't decide if she should truthfully explain the whole situation or make up a convincing lie.

Mugi knew it wasn't her place to explain Ritsu's situation, however. She nodded to herself, having made up her mind.

Besides, she had always been curious to what lying to a teacher felt like.

Before she could say anything, however, there was a loud knock. The door slid open as Sawako entered the classroom, with a serious look on her face.

"May I borrow Kotobuki-san for a while?"

"W-why yes, of course," the teacher replied, startled by her sudden appearance.

"Thank you. Oh, and Hirasawa-san and Tainaka-san are with me as well, so you don't have to worry about them."

The young male teacher just nodded dumbly, still trying to comprehend the whole situation.

Sawako gestured Mugi out of the classroom and bowed slightly before leaving. "I apologize for the inconvenience."

After sliding the door shut, Sawako exhaled in relief before turning to face the blonde keyboardist, who had a questioning look on her face.

"You guys are lucky that your teacher is new," she murmured to herself. "Ricchan and Yui-chan wouldn't have gotten off so easily otherwise."

"You saw the whole thing?"

The music teacher just winked mysteriously. "Let's get Mio-chan and Azusa-chan, shall we?"

* * *

><p>"Surprise!" Yui threw up her hands for extra emphasis. She had a huge smile plastered on her face, even though the grin seemed a bit… weak.<p>

A huge banner hung overhead, with the english word "Surprise!" in huge, block letters; which took the tawny haired girl a few seconds to read. In the corner of the banner were cute, anime style drawings of everyone's faces in the band.

Colorful streamers were strewn all over the place. On the desks were a massive heap of snacks and sweets. And smack dab in the middle of the feast was a large, towering cake with multiple layers, resembling the type of cakes you see in a wedding.

On the bench, laid in a straight line, were six cone shaped party hats. Each was uniquely designed, with different images and sentences in colored pens and markers.

"... What is this?"

"We were planning to surprise you with a farewell party," Yui said sheepishly. "It was Mio-chan's idea."

"... Oh," Ritsu said lamely. This was the last thing she had expected.

It all made sense now. All the secrecy before, Mio taking her out to distract her while the others set up— it all added up.

"Everyone wanted to cheer you up, Ricchan," Yui said in a softer tone.

Ritsu felt warm all over. With her previous inner turmoil temporarily forgotten, she couldn't help but to feel so lucky to have such thoughtful friends. "Thanks."

Although it was a simple word of appreciation; the sense of gratitude from her tone was impossible to go unnoticed.

Yui grinned back.

"Mugi-chan brought the food," Yui said excitedly, glad that she no longer needed to keep the party a secret. "Mio-chan made the banner and streamers; while Azunyan and I hung them up and blew the balloons up. Aren't they pretty?"

Ritsu nodded in silent awe, scanning around the room and absorbing every single detail.

She chuckled in amusement when she realized there was a seventh party hat, about the size of her thumbnail. Upon closer inspection, she saw a hand drawn image of a turtle with a pig's nose, and the words "Ton-chan" scrawled beneath it.

"Sawa-chan helped too," Yui continued rambling, bouncing energetically. "She bought the balloons and poppers!"

Grabbing the hat with a drawing of a pair of drumsticks beside the words "Club President", Ritsu twirled the hat in her hat, examining the other sides. There were a couple more drawings of her, all in chibi style.

There was a picture of her face—which was weirdly drawn; she couldn't help but to point out. And her nose wasn't that sharp or long! Plus, what was with that super thick, polka dotted hairband?—and another drawing of her... with the body and ears of a dog?

Slipping the hat over her head and adjusting it to stay on her head snugly, Ritsu didn't realize how wide her smile was stretched across her face. Just how did she end up with such a random bunch of people?

She swallowed down the lump of emotion stuck at her throat. Why was her vision blurring?

Ritsu blinked rapidly. Seriously, why did she seem so emotionally unstable and tearing up at every little thing? Mio was the crybaby, not her.

The wooden doors swung open abruptly, revealing a frantic Azusa. "What's wrong? Sawako-sensei came to my classroom and..." her words trailed off, and she sweatdropped. "Don't tell me..."

Ritsu and Yui looked just as confused to see their underclassman in the clubroom. "Why are you out from class already, Azunyan?"

"Ditching class, huh?" Ritsu tsk-ed, and waggled her index finger. She had managed to blink and contain her emotions. "Bad girl."

"I could ask you the same question," Azusa countered, bending her knees to set her guitar down carefully before dropping her bag next to it.

Caught red-handed, all Ritsu could do was to smile sheepishly. "Well, why are _you_ here then? It's rare for you to jig."

Azusa looked up. "Sawako-sensei excused me from class and said there was an emergency in the clubroom."

"… There's an emergency?"

Azusa shrugged, looking defeated. "Supposedly..."

The doors creaked open once more, revealing two heads peeking through the gap.

"Mio-chan, Mugi-chan!" Yui greeted the new arrivals enthusiastically. "You're here too!"

Mio scratched her cheek; as if she wasn't sure why she was there either. "Yeah, Mugi came to my class to get me."

Four pairs of eyes turned to the blonde keyboardist, who had entered the room and busied herself with a rather bulky device that resembled a stereo.

"Mugi-senpai?"

"Hm?" Mugi hummed happily in return as she set device on the bench.

"What are you doing?" Yui piped in, curious at the new toy.

"Oh, don't mind me." She waved her hands in a shoo-ing motion. "Please continue talking!"

Despite her words, the four continued watching Mugi silently, in mild fascination.

Mugi smiled gleefully as she pressed a button. The cassette's gears spun and whirled to life, making muffled ticking sounds in the process.

"Are you recording us?" Mio asked curiously.

Her question was answered with a playful smile from the blonde keyboardist, who held her index finger over her lips. "Tea, anyone?"

"Yes please," Yui answered automatically. There was a chorus of agreeing murmurs from everyone; as the entire band moved towards the tables.

"That...is a lot of food," Azusa muttered in slight awe.

Mio, who had overheard her, nodded in agreement. "The cake looks even bigger close-up."

"I'm actually having doubts if we can finish all these," Azusa replied in disbelief as she took a seat.

The heap of food was so massive that Mio couldn't even see Yui, who was sitting in the seat directly opposite of her; unless she tilted her head to the side.

Ritsu took the seat beside Mio, while sending her a soft, grateful smile. Mio reciprocated, although her expression was tinged with worry.

As Mugi went around serving tea, Mio couldn't help but to notice how the gentle blonde looked slightly disappointed. "Is something wrong, Mugi?"

The keyboardist, who had been delicately pouring tea into Mio's teacup, looked up. "I guess the surprise didn't work, huh?"

Overhearing Mugi's sentence, Yui offered albeit guiltily, "It did work! Ricchan was speechless when she came into the clubroom!"

"You should have waited for us, Yui-senpai," Azusa chided good-naturedly. "We wanted to see her reaction too."

Mugi nodded rapidly in agreement.

"I tried to stop her, I really did!" Yui protested defensively.

"They're trying to cheer you up by being happy, you know," Mio murmured tenderly. "They were really upset earlier, when they were setting the decorations up."

Although the bassist's gaze was still focused on the lighthearted bickering of the trio, her words were obviously meant for Ritsu.

The drummer gave a sad, sheepish look in return. "Thanks for planning this."

Mio shrugged, but looked happy that it had worked out. "You're welcome. After everything that happened yesterday, I felt like we needed this."

Ritsu watched her friends fondly. "Mm, it does feel nice to be laughing together again."

"It does." Mio switched her gaze to the tawny haired girl next to her. "How're you?" she asked gingerly, clearly referring to the recent encounter with the lawyer.

"Much better." Ritsu looked a bit sheepish as she remembered her hostile showcase. "Sorry you had to see me like that earlier."

"It's not like I haven't seen you like that before," Mio looked slightly amused as she spoke. "You were always the 'actions speak louder' type of person."

Before Ritsu could form a witty reply, Yui turned to them enthusiastically. "Hey hey, let's play!"

"As in, practice?"

"Now?" Azusa looked dumbfounded.

"Yeah, let's!" Much to the rest of the band's surprise, Ritsu had gotten up to retrieve her drumsticks.

Tapping on Azusa's head lightly with her sticks, the drummer grinned. "You look like you're not sure how to react."

"I _am_ not sure how to react!"

After all, this was the first time she's seen Ritsu and Yui so eager to practice.

Mugi and Mio had already stood up and were setting up their respective instruments while sharing a casual conversation.

"No joke," Ritsu confirmed in amusement as she and Yui pulled their underclassman up from the chair.

"Let's go all out!" Yui agreed, adjusting the guitar strap over her shoulder. She ran her fingers lovingly across the fret board of her precious guitar.

"What she said!" Ritsu cheered, twirling her drumsticks between her fingers as she made herself comfortable behind her drums. Tapping a quick, impatient beat with her foot; she idly observed her friends as they tuned and set up their instruments.

Strangely, she felt safe. Secure. Content. As she watched over the backs of her friends, she couldn't help but to notice how the sense of belonging between the band was strong— much stronger than it had ever been within her very own family.

Respectively, each of her bandmates turned around to indicate they were ready.

Azusa gave a firm, eager nod.

Mugi's expression was serene and peaceful as she gave a small nod; but her sky blue eyes were unwavering.

A wide, energetic smile on her features was plastered on Yui's features as she bounced lightly on her heels.

Mio just gave a soft smile.

For once, in the past few days, Ritsu felt… whole.

"Thanks."

_Complete._

"Don't thank us, silly," Yui had a warm, loving expression on her features. The rest of the group nodded in agreement, with the same tender look.

"We did it because we wanted to," Mugi continued gently.

"I mean it, you guys." Ritsu turned to look at everyone in the eye, holding their gazes and trying to convey her indescribable gratitude. "Thank you."

_For everything._

"You're welcome, senpai," Azusa said easily.

"We're always here for you," Mio added softly.

Ritsu didn't even try to hide the single tear of happiness that slipped down her cheek.

The drummer sniffed loudly, before wiping her cheek dry with her sleeve. "Afterschool Tea Time!" the tawny haired girl grinned lopsidedly and raised her drumsticks. "1, 2, 3, 4!"


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: Guess who? Hahaha.. Haha.. Ha. _

_Previously known as '**Commando Chocomint**'._

_So I tried reading my previous stuff to refresh my memory, but I didn't even make it past the first page without CRINGING orz I'm still not happy with the end product, but there are still a couple of you guys hoping I would update (thanks to those who messaged me!), so I might as well~_

_I strongly suggest to reread the previous chapter though… It's almost been 2 years for some of you guys :p_

* * *

><p><span><strong><em>Chapter 8<em>**

**_Day 4. [Part 2]_**

"I'm back!" Ritsu yelled, kicking off her shoes.

"Welcome home!" Her brother called back, his voice echoing from the kitchen.

Satoshi appeared in her view of sight, chomping on a piece of toast. He hadn't realized that his sister had brought back guests. "Mom and dad will be coming back late tonight—" His words trailed off at the sight of the four girls beside Ritsu at the doorstep.

Mio gave a small wave in greeting. "Hey."

Although he recognized the bassist, Satoshi was still intimidated by the sudden increase of the female population in his house.

Ritsu gestured to her friends. "My band," she simply introduced.

Still temporarily speechless, all Satoshi could do was stare.

Azusa, Mugi and Yui stared back, just as curious. Unlike Mio, this was their first time in the Tainaka household and meeting Ritsu's family.

"Sorry for intruding," Mugi spoke up first, sending her gentle smile towards Satoshi.

"A-ah, no, it's alright…" Satoshi swallowed, regaining his voice. "I was just going to the, uh, bathroom," he croaked. He took a few retreating steps backwards before bowing slightly. "Please take care of my sister!" he said, before backing away to the lavatory with the toast still in hand.

"… Is he going to eat that in the bathroom?"

Mio spared a quick glance at the drummer. "Did something happen?"

Ritsu shrugged as she watched her brother's strange departure. "Beats me." She dropped her school bag unceremoniously beside the couch before gesturing up the stairs. "Make yourself at home. My room's upstairs, on your first right. You can dump your stuff there."

"Mugi-chan, Mugi-chan!" Yui was almost bouncing from excitement as she grabbed the keyboardist's wrist. "Let's go explore Ricchan's room!"

The blonde nodded, just as enthusiastic.

"Don't mess up my stuff!" Ritsu yelled as Yui and Mugi bounded up the stairs, with Azusa in tow, who protested indignantly all the way.

Mio just shook her head in fond exasperation as she gently set her bass next to Ritsu's bag.

After watching her guests stomp up the stairs, Ritsu disappeared into the kitchen and reappeared with a bucket of ice. Plonking it onto the floor, she bent down and shoved her hands into the ice.

Mild concerned yet amused at the same time, Mio watched the drummer heave a huge sigh of relief. The band had just finished their most intense jamming session ever of three hours, after all. Sore from the continuous drumming, it was no surprise Ritsu couldn't feel her numb, blistered hands.

She didn't regret anything, though.

In fact, it was the most fun she's had in ages.

"Wanna see my blisters, Mio-chwan?" Ritsu sang merrily.

The bassist bit her bottom lip and shifted agitatedly. She never liked that teasing tone, _nor _the exaggerated honorific. "I'll pass, thanks."

Ritsu just smirked light-heartedly. "I'll be nice to you just this once," she mused flippantly.

Mio released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. She was grateful that Ritsu had decided to spare her; but… she couldn't shake off the feeling that something was a little _off. _Ritsu loved to scare the living daylights out of her— it was extremely rare for the drummer to pass on a chance to tease her.

Deciding that she was just paranoid and thinking too much, Mio moved on. Besides, she'd much rather see Ritsu like this than _before. _"Feeling better?"

"Muuuchh," the drummer replied happily, almost purring.

"That's good." Mio leaned back against the kitchen counter, with her arms behind her back. "Have you been changing your bandages?"

At this, Ritsu blinked. "… Is that a trick question?"

Mio frowned. "It's a simple yes or no question."

Ritsu looked at the bassist helplessly. "Am I… supposed to?"

To say the least, Mio didn't look very happy. "You used the same hand to hit that man earlier!"

"Aha…" Amber eyes searched around desperately for an excuse. "It just happened, you know? I got caught in the moment…" Under her breath, she mumbled, "And I _am _right-handed…"

"What's with you and hurting yourself?" Mio cried, clearly agitated now. "Do you enjoy getting hurt!"

"It's a bit too late for that, don'tcha think?" Ritsu shot back. An impish smile stretched across her features. "You've been hitting me for years now."

Mio resisted the strong urge to smack the drummer. " Ugh." She inhaled deeply, steadying herself. "Get me the first aid kit."

"Aw, is my Mio-chwan gonna fix me up even though she's petrified of blood?" She clasped her hands in front of her chest dreamily and batted her eyelashes. "How heroic, Akiyama-san!"

Mio's eyebrow twitched. "Don't push your luck," she warned.

Ritsu wisely chose to shut up and fetch the kit, although the huge smirk never left her face.

"Honestly… After all these years," Mio muttered as she watched Ritsu skip into the next room to get the necessary materials. The bassist had once lectured Ritsu for _hours _on how to take care of her wounds when she got hurt. _Hours! _Yet, Ritsu would tune out and just ignore her instructions; and Mio would always end up changing her bandages.

Mio came to the conclusion that Ritsu was an idiot.

Unbeknownst to the bassist, however, one of Ritsu's favourite moments with her childhood friend was when Mio would nurse her wounds.

The way Mio would turn deathly pale—

The way her knees would be subtly trembling—

The way she seemed as though she was about to throw up—

It was obvious that Mio was plain disgusted and petrified. _Yet, _the bassist would still push herself to patch her up.

The bassist's soft, attentive gaze and even softer, gentler touch…

That was the main reason why she never really minded getting hurt. No, she wasn't exactly a masochist— pain really _did_ hurt— but receiving such delicate attention and care from Mio certainly made it worth it.

"Why do you look so happy?" Mio grumbled as she warily watched Ritsu return, _still skipping. _

"Why wouldn't I be?" Ritsu sang cheerily. "A beautiful girl's gonna be nursing me—"

"Just, stop talking and sit down," Mio interrupted, truly exasperated.

"Yes ma'am," Ritsu replied obediently, still grinning widely.

As Mio carefully unwrapped the bandages, which had unsurprisingly become messy and loose, the bassist blanched.

"L-let's go to the lounge. I need to sit d-down."

"Hm, good idea. Wouldn't want you to faint on me again, would we?"

"Shut up."

They moved to the living room, sitting next to each other on the three-seater sofa. As Mio resumed her task, colour had rapidly drained from her face once again at the sight of the wound.

Ritsu had to bite the fist of her free hand to stifle her laughter at Mio's downright terrified expression. "Ahh, Mio, you're just too funny," she chortled blissfully, as if she was never injured at the first place and Mio had just made a joke.

"Can you at least _try _to stop talking?"

"I can't promise to try, but I'll try to try!"

Mio glanced up wearily, only to be greeted by Ritsu's ridiculously large grin.

She suddenly felt very irritated— she was freaking handling _blood _and Ritsu was just smiling as though she had just won some damn lottery! In an unimpressed, monotonous voice, Mio muttered, "I'm going to hit you if you keep smiling like that."

At this, Ritsu let out a short bark of laughter. "I can't smile now?" she questioned, her grin stretching impossibly wider.

"Yes," Mio huffed in annoyance. "Now stop smiling."

"Trying to try," Ritsu reminded her.

Mio rolled her eyes, choosing not to reply and to concentrate on the drummer's knuckles instead.

It was a decision she soon regretted.

Much to her disgust, the growing scab had completely reopened after Ritsu's recent violent scuffle. Now nauseous from focusing too hard on the wound, Mio swallowed nervously, trying to think of swallowed nervously, trying to think of_ anything else _other than the raw, bloodied skin in front of her. "S-So," she started, trying to hide the shakiness in voice, "Did your parents say it's alright?"

Ritsu nodded dismissively. "Yep, they said it's fine for you guys to sleep over."

"What about dinner?"

"I'll cook, of course," Ritsu replied with a proud thumbs-up.

"Don't move," Mio immediately responded. She glanced at the nearby clock hanging on the wall, already having expected the answer. "Should we start cooking after this, then?"

Ritsu fell silent for a couple of seconds as she mentally calculated how much time they would need. "Yeah. We should be done by— _OW_!"

"Stay still," Mio warned as she continued to gently dab antiseptic.

Ritsu bit her bottom lip, her free hand digging into the couch as she tried not to wince.

"… Done," Mio announced softly, after wrapping her knuckles with gauze and typing the ends of the bandage into another cute bow.

"Thanks."

Mio simply nodded before packing up and returning the medical kit to its original cabinet, which left Ritsu to continue admiring the bassist's handiwork in amusement.

"Why are you so cute?" Ritsu mused aloud.

"W-what?"

Ritsu met Mio's gaze dead on, before repeating in a completely serious tone, "Why. Are. You. So. Adorable."

"I…" Mio blinked in embarrassed confusion, "… I'm not even going to bother," she mumbled, turning away and making her way to the kitchen, desperately hoping that Ritsu hadn't seen her reddening cheeks. She had obviously heard the drummer the first time, but… Okay, so it was a well-known fact that Ritsu loved to tease her. However, was it just her, or did Ritsu seem much bolder than usual?

Mio went straight to the fridge, hoping that the cool air may calm her down. "What are you planning to make?" she asked, trying to keep her voice as even and as nonchalant as possible.

"Hm," Ritsu grunted as she poured the remaining melting contents of the bucket of ice into the sink, "What do you feel like eating?"

"Anything's fine. Make sure it's simple though, we don't have a lot of time left."

Walking up behind the bassist, Ritsu tiptoed to rest her chin on Mio's shoulder as she scanned the available ingredients. "How does curry sound? Mom brought back a ton of potatoes last night."

"Sure," Mio replied easily. She paused; absorbing the sight of two entire shelves in the fridge stocked with potatoes.

That was basically half the fridge itself.

A pause.

"…Your mom really bought a lot of potatoes…"

"I'm not quite sure what was going through her mind either," Ritsu muttered halfheartedly.

Mio smiled, bemused at the spontaneity. Ritsu was _exactly _the same— always unpredictable. Although the drummer may not be biologically related, the similarity of traits the family shared was endless. _Some things really never do change, huh?_

Fishing out the carrots and onions, she shot a glance at Ritsu. "I'll start peeling the potatoes?"

"Mmn, yes please."

The two lapsed into a comfortable silence as they carried out their respective duties. There was no need for words— it was almost a clockwork routine, really. It was moments like these— these simple moments together, that Ritsu realized she would miss most.

Before it fully registered in her mind, the drummer had absentmindedly uttered, "We make a good team."

Mio shot her a strange look. "Well, I would hope so? We've been together for a long time now."

"No, like… we make a really _good _team," the drummer stressed, unsure of how to put her thoughts into words. "Like… we're more than _just_ friends, you know?"

At this, a small, gentle smile blossomed across Mio's features. "Please don't get my hopes up."

Ritsu lowered the ladle she had been holding, her eyebrows knitted in confusion. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

The bassist turned away and resumed slicing the ingredients. "Oh, nothing."

"_What_? No, tell me!"

Angling her head downwards so the small, forlorn smile gracing her features was hidden from Ritsu's field of view, Mio opted not to reply and wordlessly continued to cut the potatoes.

"Mioooo!" the drummer whined. "Don't do this to me!"

"You'll get it one day," Mio replied nonchalantly, never looking up from the chopping board.

"No I won't! I'm slow!"

Meanwhile, at the doorway, Yui's head peeked through curiously. Two other heads followed after, popping into view below her.

"It feels like we're spying," Azusa mumbled under her breath, looking rather guilty. "I don't think we should be doing this." A pause. "Wait." She warily studied the keen faces of the guitarist and keyboardist above her. "Why do we always end up doing this?"

Mugi nodded half-heartedly, as if she wasn't fully paying attention. "Azusa-chan's right," she murmured. Despite saying that however, the blonde showed no signs of moving or whatsoever.

"Mmn," Yui agreed, but very much like Mugi, didn't seem like she was going to budge anytime soon.

"We should be helping them with dinner," Azusa whispered. "But there's this kind of… atmosphere around them…"

"Yes," Mugi agreed absently.

"Mmn," Yui followed in suit.

"Let's come back later then?"

"Yes."

"Mmn."

Both showed no signs of budging.

"Mugi-senpai, Yui-senpai!"

"Mmn—"

"Yui-senpai, if you say that one more time—"

A familiar voice that belonged to a certain drummer rang out. "…_What _are you guys doing?"

Azusa flinched visibly.

Mugi blinked.

Yui froze, resembling much like a deer caught in headlights.

There was a long pause before Yui whispered, "Don't move a muscle, maybe they won't notice us."

"… Um, no, that's not quite how it works," Mio deadpanned.

"Back away quietly and very sloooowly," the brunette continued to mutter, drawling her last word for extra emphasis as she shifted backwards timidly. "Just pretend they aren't there," she continued under her breath, turning around to creep away.

Only to realize she was nose-to-nose to Ritsu, who had somehow managed to sneak up behind her and had bent down to be on the same level as the guitarist.

"Yo," Ritsu greeted indifferently.

Yui jerked backwards, shrieking as she dramatically fell on her rear. "Ohh, Ricchan, Mio-chan!" she said sheepishly as she scratched the back of her head before meekly adding, "Fancy seeing you here!"

* * *

><p>The entire band ended up attempting to help make dinner. However, after a series of accidents by a certain clumsy individual, Yui was briefly shooed out of the kitchen. Mio had followed after to keep Yui accompanied; and the both of them ended up setting the table.<p>

Since Ritsu was handling cooking, Mio was the only one among the four guests who knew where the cutleries were kept. After all these years together, it was only natural for her to know Ritsu's house as well as the back of her hand.

A cheery dinner filled with random topics and laughter commenced after.

Azusa and Mugi had volunteered to stay back and wash the dishes. While Mio went to shower, Yui and Ritsu were given the task of arranging futons.

After moving the low table out of Ritsu's bedroom, the duo had managed to squeeze and spread three futons across the floor, although the sides were overlapping the other.

It had been unanimously agreed before that Mio and Ritsu would sleep on the latter's single bed, since it wasn't an uncommon occurrence for the two childhood friends. Of course, they were _much_ larger now, but Ritsu had insisted that although Mio was humongous, it would be fine.

Lying on the bed on her stomach, Ritsu propped her chin on her palm as she watched Yui in amusement. The guitarist was trying to spread the futons out evenly; which was ultimately in vain due to the lack of space.

Due to the futons at the opposite ends overlapping the middle one, the futon at the center was half its original size. In fact, there was barely enough space for someone to lie on it.

At the very moment, Azusa walked into the room, with Mugi trailing behind her.

With a sudden realization that there wasn't much she could do to even out the futons; Yui dived onto the futon that seemed the largest and claimed it by sprawling herself over it like a starfish.

Azusa's eyebrows shot up after witnessing her senpai flop onto the ground without any warning.

Mugi, who realized what Yui had done a split second later, followed in suit and claimed the futon at the opposite end.

The younger guitarist whirled around, perplexed. Azusa couldn't comprehend why her upperclassmen around her were suddenly flopping down like starfishes.

While all the flopping transpired, Ritsu, who had watched the entire thing, erupted into full-blown laughter.

Startled, Azusa stared at the drummer rolling on the bed in heavy laughter. Shooting an exasperated look at her immature upperclassmen, the guitarist frowned when she finally realized she was stuck with the ridiculously tiny futon in the middle.

"Why didn't you spread it evenly, Yui-senpai?"

"I tried, Azunyan! I really did!"

Azusa sighed wearily and glanced at Ritsu, who was _still _hooting in laughter.

"… Really, Ritsu-senpai?"

Ritsu snorted loudly, still sniggering away.

Garnet eyes narrowed slightly; but Azusa seemed to be inwardly amused at the sudden outburst. "Was it that funny?"

Yui shrugged, unable to comprehend why Ritsu was laughing so hard either; despite always thinking on the same wavelength as the club president. Mugi looked slightly concerned for the sake of their drummer, who had seemed to have went bonkers.

The door creaked open as Mio entered, with a fluffy white towel dangling loosely around her neck. Ruffling the cloth against her long raven locks in an attempt to quicken the drying process, Mio raised an eyebrow as she took in the scene before her.

"… What did I miss?"

Ritsu clamped her jaws together, trying to stifle her laughter. In the process, her cheeks puffed up, resembling a goldfish. Shaking her head frenziedly, the drummer ended up bursting into laughter again— effectively spraying spit all over the place.

"Ewww," Yui whined, cringing. Unfortunately for the brunette, Yui received the front row seat of the shower of spit. With her eyes screwed shit, Yui flailed helplessly, her features scrunched up in mild revulsion. "Mugi-chaaaan," she whimpered pitifully, well aware that Mugi was the most likely person to carry tissues.

Despite looking sympathetic, Mugi's sky blue eyes were dancing with mirth. "There, there," she cooed soothingly, immediately starting to wipe Yui's face dry with a convenient handkerchief.

Mio deadpanned. "Should I ask?"

Azusa shook her head in defeat, having lost all hope for her upperclassmen. She decided to use her energy to try spreading the futons evenly instead.

Mio nodded, wisely choosing to take the younger guitarist's advice. Scanning around the cramped room, she murmured, "It's a miracle we all managed to fit in here."

"I'm amazed too." Despite the huge grin on her face, Ritsu had finally sobered up and was now looking around her room in mild awe.

The bassist blinked. There was something about that smile which wasn't right.

Ritsu noticed Mio studying her. Her previous expression vanished, and a bright, dazzling smile replaced it instead. Patting the bed, Ritsu gestured to the space next to her. "I know I'm amazing, but you don't just stand there and gawk at me!" she teased playfully, batting her eyelashes.

Mio rolled her eyes, but joined the drummer on the bed anyway.

The band continued talking, which mostly just consisted of nonsensical chatter and random antics. From sharing stories of their middle school days, to cakes and even peanuts— there was never a dull moment among them, and their conversations seemed to go on forever.

As the night grew darker however, Ritsu's expression grew heavier. Her smile grew more forced, and her smile dropped whenever the drummer thought no one was looking.

She might've fooled the rest of her band, but Mio didn't miss her downcast gaze.

Just as she was about to ask what was wrong, Ritsu suddenly blurted, "You guys have to continue playing together."

"What?"

"Houkago Tea Time _must_ go on," Ritsu insisted. "No matter what."

"Even without its leader?" Azusa questioned reluctantly.

"Especially that," the drummer replied firmly.

"Of course, Captain!" Yui affirmed immediately.

Mugi nodded rapidly, her eyebrows knitted in determination.

Azusa and Mio weren't that quick to agree, though. Both were more hesitant and skeptical— what type of band didn't have a drummer?

"I'm gonna drum a lot," Ritsu announced. "Which is why you guys have to practice tons and get better. Next time we meet, we'll blow everyone's buttcheeks off their seats." Her expression softened. "Never forget Budokan, okay?"

Yui and Mugi cheered enthusiastically in agreement. Even Azusa couldn't help but to crack a smile.

"Besides, I'll email you guys everyday!" the drummer continued.

"We can video call each other too!" Yui chipped in.

"And I'll visit tons! It'll be like I never left!" Her grin widened. "And once I sort everything out, I'm gonna move back here!"

"We'll play lives again!"

"And goof around in the clubroom!"

"That's only if you return before graduation," Azusa reminded the drummer softly.

Ritsu laughed. "Why so pessimistic, Azusa?" she said teasingly. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to come back before then," she promised. "I want to graduate together. Oh, and of course I'll be there when you graduate too, Azusa," she added.

Yui waggled her eyebrows. "We'll all be at your graduation to cheer you on!"

The blonde nodded firmly.

"Please don't, that would be embarrassing…"

"And we'll eat more cake together!" Yui continued, ignoring Azusa's statement.

Mio smiled fondly. "Yeah. That too."

"Besides," Ritsu added, "We can always elect a new club president till I come back!"

This elicited a very heavy and uncomfortable pause.

"… I'm not too sure if that's the best idea," Mio started carefully.

"Sure it is!" the drummer insisted. "Just till I come back home."

"…Ricchan will be always be our club president," Yui said slowly, her eyebrows knitted.

"I agree with Yui-senpai on this one," Azusa murmured, shooting Ritsu a fond look. "You may not be the most reliable senpai…"

Mugi nodded and continued, "… But having anyone else as our club president…"

"… Doesn't feel right," Mio finished.

There was a pause as Ritsu absorbed her bandmates' words. When it finally clicked, a warm smile blossomed across her features. "Aww, you guys," she started softly, "I— _Wait, what did you just say, Nakano_?" she exclaimed, playfully grabbing Azusa the collar of clothes. "Excuse you, _I'm plenty reliable_!"

And just like that, the band continued playful banter continued throughout the night. At about one in the morning however, they had started dozing off one by one. Yui was out first, followed by Mugi and Azusa.

With their backs leaning against each other, Mio and Ritsu just sat in silence, content with just watching their friends sleep peacefully.

The serene silence was broken, however, by Yui's sudden groan. "Mm," the guitarist mumbled blissfully. "No more please, I'm full," she continued, clumsily rubbing her stomach.

At the opposite end, Mugi stirred. "Have another piece," she murmured, her words slurring.

Hazel eyes widened. "Whoa, did she just—"

"Yui-senpai, stop eating," Azusa testily muttered under her breath, shifting uneasily under the covers.

"…Are they really sleep-talking? _Together?_" Ritsu whispered in sheer disbelief.

Mio shrugged, just as incredulous. "Is that even possible?"

They continued to watch the trio carefully, but no other word was muttered after.

"… What a bunch of idiots," Ritsu decided. Despite that term however, the edge of her lips had curved upwards.

Mio just smiled as she watched the drummer affectionately gaze at the sleeping forms of her friends. "You mean like you?" the bassist added lightheartedly.

Hazel orbs locked onto steel grey. The edge of her lips rose even further, revealing a bemused, toothy smirk. "Just so you know, you're one of us too, missy."

* * *

><p><em>She didn't want to see any of her beloved bandmates cry. <em>

_They were just so precious; and they meant the absolute world to her._

_She knew she wouldn't be able to leave if her friends were to see her off at the airport._

_Although the thought of being so far away frightened her, nothing petrified her more than saying goodbye._

_That was the moment Ritsu decided she would leave without telling the others. _

* * *

><p><em>AN: 'Tis the calm before the storm~ Originally, this was supposed to be the last chapter followed by a short epilogue. It got way too long though, so I'm splitting this into half. Hopefully I'll be able to get the next half out by next weekend, and the epilogue the next B)_

_Also, a huge thank you for the reviews! ; A ; /chucks hearts at those who had reviewed/ _


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: I tried**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter 9.<strong>_

_**Day 5. **_

_2:15am_

Somewhere between their quiet conversation, Mio had also drifted off. After gently laying the bassist down and tucking her beneath the covers, Ritsu silently left the room.

As she crossed the stairs, her fingers lingered against the smooth wood of the banister. She felt tired. So very tired. Not only physically worn out, but emotionally exhausted as well. Her emotions had been a complete wreck these past few days.

Collapsing at the bottom of the stairs with her head leaning against the banister, she sighed deeply.

* * *

><p><em>3:26am.<em>

Sky blue eyes blinked groggily, awakened by the persistent vibrating of her mobile. Rubbing her eye with the back of her palm sleepily, she flipped her mobile open to read the messages she had just received. Her facial expression hardened and a stern frown slowly grew across her features.

Carefully stepping over her sleeping friends, Mugi was cautious not to wake any of her bandmates as she stealthily sneaked out of the bedroom before proceeding to make her way down to the living room.

There was an important call she had to make. In her haste however, Mugi had failed to notice that there was only one body on Ritsu's single bed.

"Can't sleep?"

Mugi nearly jumped, her heart leaping out of her chest. "Ricchan," she acknowledged breathlessly, turning to face the source of the voice. Finally noticing the crouched figure at the bottom of the stairs, Mugi smiled sheepishly. "You too?"

Ritsu rose to her feet and shot the keyboardist a half-hearted curve of her lips before making her way to the living room.

The dark bags beneath Ritsu's eyes answered Mugi's question before the drummer herself spoke. Despite noticing the eye-bags earlier, Mugi was convinced that they seemed much darker than before. Her cheekbones were drawn in, and Ritsu's hazel eyes lacked the usual bright lustre.

"A little," Ritsu admitted, exhaling heavily as she sat on the opposite couch.

Mugi had never seen the energetic drummer so… _drained._

A part of her wanted to reach out and pull Ritsu into an embrace, but Ritsu looked so painfully _fragile_— _as though she was about to break any moment_— that Mugi couldn't bring herself to physically comfort the drummer, in fear that a single touch may cause Ritsu to break down.

She settled with moving to sit next to Ritsu instead.

"How are you coping?" the blonde asked gently.

Ritsu managed a weak smile, which seemed more like a grimace. "It's… not easy."

The sight pained the keyboardist terribly. Before she could offer words of consolation, however, Ritsu spoke up again, in a softer voice, "But it's going to be okay, Mugi."

Mugi nodded resolutely, clutching her mobile tightly in her hand. It _would _be okay. All she had to do was make a phone call, and hopefully everything would be back to normal again.

Glassy amber eyes stared at empty space. "It'll be like I never left," Ritsu mumbled, repeating the promises that kept her sane. "And I'll visit often…"

"… But what if you didn't have to go?" Mugi whispered.

Ritsu's gaze softened. "Mugi…"

"It's possible," Mugi insisted. "We—"

"Mugi," Ritsu interrupted, her tone gentle but firm.

Slightly puzzled, the keyboardist looked up to meet Ritsu's eyes. "Yes?"

Hazel eyes bored through her resolutely. Ritsu smiled again, but this time, it was truer and more sincere. "Thank you."

Mugi knew then, that Ritsu had discovered her little call last night. Just to confirm it though, she asked, "What for?"

The drummer sighed, gesturing towards the phone in the blonde's hand. Ritsu then reached out to grab a nearby cushion, clasping it against her chest tightly as she positioned herself to sit cross-legged. "Are you on the line with my father?"

_Of course she knew._

The shakiness of Ritsu's last word didn't go unnoticed, however. The volume of her hesitant tone had also drastically quietened, as if she was terrified to affirm it out loud.

Mugi inched closer, prepared to offer comfort whenever needed. "I was about to," she confessed softly.

There was a long silence.

Growing increasingly worried, Mugi was just about to ask what was wrong before the drummer whispered, "… Don't."

Her sentence was barely audible, and although the keyboardist was right next to her, Mugi wasn't certain if she had heard her correctly. "Pardon?"

Another silence, as if Ritsu was reconsidering her previous sentence.

After a short pause, which felt like an eternity to the blonde, Ritsu repeated just as softly, "Don't call him."

Mugi was astonished, to say the least.

"… _Why?" _

Ritsu finally met the blonde's gaze. Mugi could almost _feel _the drummer's agonized hazel eyes pierce through her soul.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm really _really _grateful."

"What are you trying to say?"

Ritsu's gaze was apologetic and mournful. "…You have to let me go, Mugi."

Now, Mugi wasn't the type of person to be caught offguard easily. She had been taught to be constantly open minded, to expect and accept all types of scenarios.

Except this one.

Completely dumbfounded, Mugi gaped at the drummer wordlessly.

Ritsu just smiled, a terribly sad smile filled with sorrow and resignation in one.

"... I don't understand… Did… something happen…?"

Choosing to deflect Mugi's question with another question, the drummer asked softly, "Do you trust me?"

"That's not fair," the blonde mumbled, "You know I do, Ricchan…"

"Then you have to believe me when I say I'm not going to let this ruin us," Ritsu murmured, trying to sound as soothing as she could. She managed a weak grin. "Okay?"

"…Are you trying to say," the keyboardist said slowly, "…That you want me to do _nothing_?"

Ritsu knew that if she answered truthfully, Mugi would never back down. She knew Mugi would continue fighting for her custody, and might even go to extreme lengths to get her to stay.

"…Yes."

Her voice didn't shake.

And she was proud.

Piercing amber eyes stared straight through sky blue, never faltering. "Please, Mugi. _Please._"

"I…I don't understand," Mugi repeated. The keyboardist looked so grief-stricken. Heartbroken, even.

"I hope you'll respect my wishes, Mugi... I really want this."

"But— _"_

"Do it for me?"

Mugi didn't know what to say. All she could do was stare at the drummer silently. As Mugi struggled to comprehend the unexpected turn of events, the only word she managed to utter was, "_Why?" _

Her whisper was jagged, her voice cracking. The sight of hurt confusion shining brightly in Mugi's sky blue eyes broke Ritsu's heart.

"I-is this because," Mugi tried, anxiously trying to come up with reasonable explanation, "Did Wakaouji-san—?"

"It's because I _want_ to go, Mugi. Simple as that."

She had managed to lie confidently with a straight face while maintaining eye contact.

But Ritsu knew she couldn't keep the façade up much longer.

Meanwhile, torn between disbelief and hurt, with her hands clenched tightly against her lap, Mugi was at a complete loss of what to say. "…Ricchan—"

Ritsu bit her bottom lip. "I'm going back to sleep," she murmured, rising from the couch and moving towards the stairs. Her bangs shadowed her eyes, hiding the storm of turmoil in her pained amber eyes. "You should too," she whispered, her voice starting to tremble.

"Wait," Mugi whispered breathlessly, her hand stretching out towards Ritsu's direction hopelessly.

But Ritsu was gone, and all the she could do was watch the drummer's back disappear up the stairs. Once the light patter of Ritsu's footsteps had died down, a heavy silence followed.

Mugi had never heard quiet quite so loud.

A little shakily, Mugi gripped the armrest to steady herself. She only realized then that she had been holding her breath the entire time. Still uncertain with what just happened, she stared at the cushion Ritsu had been gripping just moments ago.

Tentatively, she reached out for the very same cushion before clutching it against her chest. Her gaze lowered to stare at the mobile between her fingers.

In a heartbreakingly pained tone, the keyboardist whispered, "You're lying, aren't you?"

* * *

><p>Instead of heading back to her bedroom, Ritsu fled to the bathroom. Wordlessly, she leaned against the cold wall.<p>

Her empty eyes were completely void of any signs of life. There wasn't even a single spark of the slightest hope. Just utter defeat.

She did it. _She actually did it._

Her fists clenched tightly, but Ritsu paid no attention to the stinging from the nails digging into her skin.

She had pushed away her very last source of hope. Nothing was stopping her now.

Ritsu suddenly felt tired— so heavily weighed down by exhaustion. She just wanted all this to end.

Her knees gave way and she slid down to the ground, with her back still pressed against the wall. As her arms hung limply by her sides, she stretched her legs out in front of her.

Wet, lifeless amber eyes stared dully at the ceiling.

She didn't even realize she was still biting her bottom lip until she tasted the coppery tang of blood at the tip of her tongue.

She didn't even try to stop the tears.

She couldn't feel anything.

Just numbness and devastation.

She stayed in that position motionlessly, dully aching all over, as she just continued to stare at the plain, white ceiling.

The cold tiles felt icier than before.

She had never felt more alone in her whole seventeen years.

* * *

><p>"Ritsu…senpai?" Garnet eyes blinked groggily. "What are you doing here?"<p>

The drummer looked up blearily. "Hey there, Azusa," she greeted with a sad smile.

Azusa had a habit of drinking a glass of water before going to bed, which naturally lead to bathroom visits in the middle of the night. To say that she was surprised to see Ritsu huddled in the corner of the lavatory was a huge understatement.

The guitarist immediately crouched down to meet Ritsu's eye level. "Are you okay?" she asked, now fully awake. Her garnet eyes were wide and panicked. "Should I get help? I'll wake Mio-senpai—"

"You're talking too fast," Ritsu interrupted, grimacing. "Too much, too." She patted the space next to her. "Wanna join me?"

Azusa paused, reluctantly. "So, you're alright?"

The drummer chuckled. "Of course I am, you silly girl."

"…Then what are you doing on the bathroom floor?"

Ritsu rested her head against the wall and closed her eyes. "Just resting."

Azusa was incredulous. "_Here_?"

_What was this déjà vu feeling?_

Ritsu cracked an eye open, her expression bemused. "What's wrong with chilling in the loo?"

"Well, for starters, there are other choices which are much more hygienic," Azusa hinted, an eyebrow raised. Despite her words, she took the offer and sat next to the drummer.

Ritsu shut her eye again, smiling slightly. "Guess that though didn't cross my mind earlier."

"Huh." Azusa shifted awkwardly. "Hey… Ritsu-senpai, can I ask you something?"

"Hm. Why not," Ritsu mused. "Well, shoot, I suppose."

Azusa frowned. "You should know what I'm about to ask."

A small, melancholic smile crept upon Ritsu's features. "You mean like, what am I _really _doing here?"

"Yes," Azusa replied flatly.

An amused sound escaped the back of the drummer's throat. "Well, you see," she drawled, intentionally wasting time. "It's a looong story."

The guitarist sighed. "I don't think I'll be able to get back to sleep anytime soon, so you might as well."

"But, it's a _really _long story," the drummer insisted.

"Stop stalling, senpai."

Although her eyes were still shut, Ritsu's smile grew wider. "You know," she hummed thoughtfully, "You're a great guitarist, Azusa."

Caught offguard, Azusa almost jerked backwards. "…Um, what?" She stared at the drummer distrustfully. "…Where is this coming from?"

Eyelids fluttered open, revealing the firm and resolute gaze of Ritsu's dull hazel eyes. Azusa had never seen the drummer stare at her so seriously. "I'm really glad you joined our band."

* * *

><p>It seemed as though exhaustion had finally taken its toll.<p>

Despite the exasperated sigh that escaped her lips, Azusa couldn't help but to regard the sleeping club leader with a fond look. She decided not to wake Ritsu up, settling to carefully try and make herself as comfortable as one possibly could on the cold hard ground of a bathroom.

In the end, the drummer never told her what she was doing in the bathroom. Ritsu just kept changing the topic, and went on about how blessed the band was to receive Azusa. It honestly creeped her out— their club president was never one to gush compliments.

After that, Ritsu just kept on bombarding her with completely random questions, like "I just realized I don't know your favourite colour! What is it?" and "Do you like sports?" And when the drummer finally ran out of questions, she just kept bringing up moments like "Remember the time Yui missed the bottom step and fell down the stairs, yet she still managed to keep the cupcake she was holding in one piece?"

With her free arm, the guitarist fished out her mobile to glance at the time. _04:31_ flashed at the corner of the screen. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise— they've been talking for almost an hour? Wow.

Deep in thought, Azusa stared at her upperclassman silently. Although she had a couple of theories, she still wasn't completely sure what Ritsu was doing here…

Without warning, the drummer's head dipped forward. Swiftly, but with extreme tenderness, Azusa caught Ritsu's head and sighed in relief when the drummer's light snoring continued, undisrupted.

'_Ritsu-senpai must've been really tired_,' the guitarist noted. Usually, the drummer wasn't particularly a heavy sleeper. Very gently, Azusa tilted the drummer's head to rest against her shoulder, so Ritsu could lean against her for support as she slept.

Fortunately though, despite the constant teasing of her height, Ritsu wasn't that much taller than her. The drummer's head settled comfortably between the crook of her neck. And yes, although it had been her decision—Azusa had to struggle to relax.

It was a known fact that Azusa had always hesitated whenever it came to intimacy. How she managed to survive in the music club was a miraculous feat itself, considering how Yui was ridiculously touchy-feely.

But she had definitely come a long way. Her time with the club had definitely made her more open, and although she may not always reciprocate intimacy, she had definitely learned to embrace it, or at least tolerate it.

As Azusa grew more accustomed to the peaceful rhythm of Ritsu's light snoring, she felt her tense shoulders slowly relax. Before she knew it, her eyelids had fluttered shut.

* * *

><p><em>5:06am<em>

Ritsu grunted in displeasure at the insistent vibrating coming from her pocket. Exhaling heavily, hazel eyes blinked sleepily as she reached for the annoying device that had rudely awakened her. She flipped her mobile open and frowned at the twelve missed calls she had received from an unknown yet achingly familiar number.

When she finally realized her surroundings and how she had been sleeping on Azusa, she almost jerked away in alarm. She must have drifted off while she was talking to the guitarist… And her head had drooped sideways and ended up resting against Azusa's shoulder somewhere along the night, she reasoned.

With extreme caution, Ritsu gently detached herself from the guitarist. Her phone vibrated persistently again, and she was almost—_almost _tempted to fling it outside a window. Instead, she flipped her phone shut to end the incoming call and silently left the bathroom.

The last thing she wanted to hear was _his goddamn voice_.

Her phone vibrated again, but only for a mere second.

Sighing again, Ritsu reluctantly flipped her mobile open again to read the text message she had just received.

'_A car will be waiting outside your house in an hour.'_

'_No. I'll go to the airport myself.'_

'_Absolutely not.' _was the immediate response.

'_Do it and I'll run away.'_

This time, there was a long pause before she finally received the curt reply of _'Be at the check-in by 7:30am.'_

As she pocketed her mobile while returning back to her room to grab a blanket for Azusa, the edge of her lips had curved into a small victorious smirk. These tiny acts of defiance were the only things that fueled her now. Upon her entry, however, she realized that only the sleeping bodies of Mio and Yui were present.

_Mugi…?_

Her small moment vanished instantly, and a sudden wave of anxiety washed over her. Rushing out of her room, Ritsu bounded down the stairs and stopped in an abrupt halt halfway through after noticing the back of the keyboardist's head resting against the hand-rest of the couch.

Mugi had fallen asleep on the couch.

Swiftly, the drummer hurried back up the stairs and grabbed the covers of the futons she had initially provided for Azusa and Mugi. With both covers bunched up in her arms, she managed not to stumble despite being unable to see ahead of her.

She decided to go to Azusa first— Not only was the temperature in the bathroom much chillier, it was also much closer. Although she wanted to move the guitarist back into her bedroom, she couldn't risk the high possibility of waking Azusa up.

As she laid the sheet over Azusa, she couldn't help but smile fondly. Before Ritsu could stop herself, she ruffled the soft, ebony tresses of the sleeping guitarist as gently as she could.

Despite knowing Azusa for less than a year, Ritsu couldn't deny that she had grown incredibly attached to their often-too-serious underclassman.

"I'll be counting on you to look after everyone else, okay?" Ritsu murmured, "Although they're older, they aren't always as level headed as you." At this, the drummer smiled in mild amusement. "Guess that includes me too, huh."

After spending another moment studying Azusa and trying to recall if she had forgotten anything else, Ritsu decided that there was nothing else she could do to make Azusa comfortable without moving her.

With a heavy heart, she cautiously closed the door as quietly as she could before making her way back to Mugi.

Now in the dim living room, Ritsu observed how the blonde was curled in a fetal position, tightly clutching the very same cushion the drummer had held before against her chest. She seemed extremely tensed in her sleep— her nose was red, even her eyebrows were knitted. With a start, Ritsu realized that the keyboardist's cheeks were still somewhat damp.

_Mugi had cried herself to sleep._

Her heart tightened with guilt.

Pained to see the gentle keyboardist look so distressed, even in her sleep, Ritsu proceeded to repeat what she had done to Azusa before her mind even registered her actions. After tucking Mugi cozily under the covers, she reached forward to stroke the soft, blond tresses.

Surprisingly, Mugi relaxed considerably at the gesture.

Now encouraged, Ritsu continued to repeat her actions, until she was basically petting the keyboardist. "Thank you for everything you've done… I'm sorry for placing such a huge burden on you," the drummer whispered coarsely, "I'm so, _so _sorry. You know I would never want to hurt you..."

She didn't know what else to say, the word "sorry" was beginning to sound disgustingly overused and pathetic. Collapsing onto the ground, Ritsu just silently sat there, cross-legged, with her hands in her lap as her sad hazel eyes watched over the keyboardist.

She wasn't sure how much time she had spent in that position. The drummer just waited… waited for _any_ sign of distress to appear on Mugi's sleeping features. She was prepared to jump to the blonde's side, ready to offer comfort whenever needed.

But for the rest of that night—or at least, while the drummer was there—Mugi showed no such signs.

When Ritsu's gaze flickered to the clock hanging in the lounge room, her shoulders slumped in defeat at the reminder of the time she had left. Very reluctantly, she rose and ambled back to her bedroom, her pace sluggishly listless. As she entered her bedroom for the nth time that night, she decided to approach the other guitarist first.

Yui was snoring lightly, and the small trickle of drool at the corner of the brunette's mouth caused Ritsu to shake her head in amused exasperation. After grabbing a nearby tissue, the drummer proceeded to wipe the drool off as delicately as she could manage.

"Can you keep the band smiling for me?" Ritsu whispered sadly. "And please take care of Mio for me. One crybaby is more than enough, so don't cry when I'm gone. Try not to cause too much trouble for Azusa too, okay?"

Yui mumbled something unintelligible, as if she could sense Ritsu speaking to her.

At first, the drummer had jolted backwards in astonishment, believing that she had actually awoken the guitarist. However, after realizing it was just a false alarm, Ritsu smiled half-heartedly. "Yeah. I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly, but I'll be back before you know it."

She received another garbled mumble in reply, followed by a moment of silence. Carefully rising to her feet, Ritsu risked a glance at Mio.

Her heart swelled painfully.

She couldn't bring herself to say goodbye to her childhood friend just yet. Deciding to put it off and pack her belongings first, Ritsu reached to grab a bag— just a simple backpack. Noiselessly, the drummer roamed around the room, hastily stuffing an extra change of clothes and her worn-out drumsticks into the pack.

Beside the pile of worn-out magazines she used as substitutes for her drums, was a stack of music sheets. Ritsu fumbled through the pages hurriedly, searching for all the songs her band had created. Naturally, everyone had entirely different music scores, as each of them represented completely different instruments—or in the guitarists' case, different melodies.

Ritsu depended on percussion notation as a drummer. She couldn't read music like the others, so their versions of their songs were absolutely useless to her. Yet, Ritsu found herself collecting _all_ the music sheets, regardless if she could understand them or not.

As she continued to quietly roam around her room, she grabbed the cassettes of their attempted recording sessions and made a mental note to take her music player in her schoolbag later, since it contained every single song Houkago Tea Time had ever played.

Her shoulders slackened at the sight of the scattered photographs pinned on the wooden board that hung on her wall. The pictures, which contained the members of the light music club, had all been captured during utterly random moments on Mio's camera. It had initially been Yui's idea for everyone to get a board of their own, so they could hang up their pictures and "see" each other every day.

Before she could register her actions, Ritsu had already started to remove the thumbtacks that held the images up. She collected every single photograph until the board was stripped clean. After taking a moment to longingly stare at the small stack of photos in her hand, she added them into her backpack.

Grabbing a random sheet of music, Ritsu proceeded to hastily scribble on the back of the page before gingerly pinning up her message on the empty board.

'_I'll be back soon. I'll call you guys as soon as my plane lands.'_

Her expression softened as her gaze drifted to her lifelong childhood friend, who was still sleeping peacefully. Ritsu watched the rhythmic rise and fall of her shoulders, immensely grateful that Mio was a heavy sleeper.

Hesitantly, Ritsu quietly shuffled back next to the sleeping figure and knelt by the side of the bed. She brushed the soft, dark tresses tenderly and cupped several loose bangs behind Mio's ear. After pulling her hand back, she just continued to sit there, content with just watching Mio sleep.

Her mobile vibrated again, which startled the drummer. Ritsu glanced at the bassist's face for the last time, trying to memorize every single detail before sighing softly.

"Bye, Mio."

Another lengthy pause. There was just so much she wanted to say. _Too much._ But this was neither the time nor the place, especially with Mio fast asleep.

"I'll see you soon, okay?"

Her voice was soft, her tone painfully gentle. Her volume was much softer compared to the one she had used on the previous girls. It was completely uncharacteristic of her, and harshly contrasted her nature.

Ritsu paused, before leaning forward hesitantly and leaving a soft kiss on the bassist's forehead.

It was more of a brush of her lips against Mio's skin than anything else, really.

Houkago Tea Time would _always_ mean the world to her. But Mio… Mio was special.

"…I think… Maybe, _just maybe_… I think I might actually—"

Her next words were barely a whisper, almost inaudible. Even Ritsu herself didn't manage to catch her own words.

After lingering indecisively for another moment, Ritsu finally rose to her feet. As she warily swung her bag over her shoulder, she couldn't seem to take her eyes off of her friends.

The thought of being unable to see the faces of her friends everyday was unbearable.

Impulsively, she whipped out her mobile; ignored the stream of messages she had received and opened the camera application instead. She ended up capturing the images of the sleeping faces of her entire band—while selfishly absorbing their presence one last time as she did so.

Although, taking Mugi's picture definitely hurt the most.

Nevertheless, it was an important image to seal within her memories. Hopefully one day, she'll be able to make it up to the blonde. Hopefully. Until then, she would carry the guilt of hurting the keyboardist—who was hands down, the kindest, gentlest person she had ever met.

A part of her still failed to completely comprehend the value of what she was about to leave behind. The only thing that had got her this far was the promise of the safety and happiness of everyone she loved.

That, alone, was enough of a reason.

Hovering before the front door uncertainly, Ritsu hesitated. A long silence dragged on, and she almost wanted someone to wake up and stop her from leaving.

_Anyone._

As the drummer painstakingly unlocked the door as slowly as she could, she felt herself pause. She tried to urge herself forward, but couldn't. She just couldn't bring herself to leave.

Her gaze dropped to stare at the tidy line of school shoes arranged besides the entrance. The sight of her pair among her band's seemed to trigger something within her—suddenly feeling sick to the stomach, she couldn't shake the looming sense of devastation weighing down on her.

Her voice caught in back of her throat, and she tried to force the ball of emotion down in vain. "This is for the best," she whispered, in an attempt to reassure herself. "This is f-for them." Her voice was truly cracking now, and Ritsu had to bite her fist to stop the broken sob threatening to escape.

Her train-wreck of feelings was starting to spill over again. After several shaky exhales through her gritted teeth and further failed attempts to steady her emotions, the drummer decided she had to leave before she woke the entire household.

Willing herself not to turn back, she silently twisted the doorknob open.

Ritsu never looked back.

* * *

><p>And that was how Tainaka Ritsu walked out of their lives.<p> 


	10. Epilogue

**Epilogue. **

"_**Farewell: a word you wish you'll never have to tell your loved ones"**_

* * *

><p>Mio knew.<p>

She knew the moment she woke up and realized all the photographs on Ritsu's pin-up board were gone.

The bassist didn't even need to read the note the drummer had left behind to confirm the sickening reality. She broke down, and it didn't take long for the remaining members of the band to wake and catch on.

* * *

><p>Unfocused garnet eyes blinked, snapping out of her daze. She wasn't sure how long she had just sat there—in the same motionless position, deep in thought. Her hollow eyes scanned the brand new journal in front of her.<p>

Azusa urged herself to move. It took her nerves a couple of seconds to react to the command; but nevertheless, her hand eventually crept forward. Slowly, but steadily, she reached out to stroke the smooth hardcover before gingerly flipping the journal open, revealing the first blank page.

The tips of her fingers ran over the surface of the page tenderly.

_Was this really a good idea? _

She couldn't decide.

Her ballpoint pen, prepared to write, had been poised in the same, stationary position the entire time.

She didn't know where to begin.

Hesitantly, she decided to write the date. She couldn't possibly go wrong there, could she?

'_22__nd__ of March' _

Her handwriting seemed so foreign.

Unrecognizable.

She took a deep breath.

'_Houkago Tea Time no longer has a club president anymore. None of the upperclassmen wanted to take Ritsu-senpai's position, so the Light Music Club currently has no leader.' _

The writing hand paused as she recollected her thoughts.

'_We can't be a band without a drummer. Everything just fell out of place. None of us were able to keep to the beat without Ritsu-senpai.'_

A wry smile crept onto her features at the unintended irony. Despite Ritsu's rushed drumming, the band had grown accustomed and learned to tune into her unpredictable beats.

'_Everyone opposed the idea of recruiting a new drummer, including me. It was never really an option, really…'_

The hand trembled.

'_That would be replacing Ritsu-senpai, after all.'_

A deep intake of breath was taken to steady her emotions.

'_I know that Ritsu-senpai had made each of us promise that we would keep playing as a band, even without her.'_

Her sad garnet eyes turned glassy as she flipped to the next page. The tip of her pen continued scratching against the paper, its pace speeding up.

'_But I'm starting to doubt that we're going to go anywhere as a band. We're trying, we really are, but…'_

Azusa exhaled heavily.

'_It's just not working. _

_Mio-senpai didn't go to school on the day after Ritsu-senpai left. She said she was sick, but I honestly doubt so. With half the band gone, Mugi-senpai and Yui-senpai decided to call off after school practice until Mio-senpai was well again. _

_A weekend passed, and Mio-senpai finally came back to school. I remember that although her expression was unreadable, her eyes were puffy and bloodshot. _

_Yui-senpai looked tired and weary. She kept smiling, trying to cheer everyone up. I feel that none of her smiles ever quite reached her eyes, though. On the other hand, Mugi-senpai seemed rather dazed all the time. She was constantly out of it and always stared off into space, for some reason. _

_I have a feeling something happened between her and Ritsu-senpai the night she left…'_

As her writing pace increased, she realized her handwriting was becoming messier and almost illegible. Pages flew by, slowly being filled up with hastily scrawled words.

'_It's been almost two weeks since Ritsu-senpai left, and she hasn't contacted any of us yet. At first, we were worried she had gotten into some sort of accident, but Mugi-senpai had a reliable source confirm that she had safely landed in Italy and is currently residing in the Wakaouji household. _

Azusa paused, her breathing now unsteady.

'_We're all worried. I just hope she's alright.' _

* * *

><p><em>7<em>_th__ of April_

'_We met in the clubroom after school today—our first one since Ritsu-senpai left. It's been almost three weeks, but Ritsu-senpai has yet to contact us. Even though Mio-senpai's trying to put on a brave façade, it's painfully obvious that she's starting to break. _

_Since they had been together for more than half their lives, it's understandable that the sudden departure had hit Mio-senpai the hardest._

_Everything between us feels strained for some reason… It's as if we're trying to pretend we're not sad for each other's sake. And even though Mio-senpai is trying to help all of us cope, I feel as though she's the most distant one out of all of us, bottling her grief by herself.'_

It was as if her hand was writing on its own accord. Her mind was blank, yet the words continued to flow, like a massive uncontrollable wave.

'_The night Ritsu-senpai left still haunts me… I'm sure I was the very last person she talked to when I found her in the bathroom. A part of me knew that she was planning to do something back then, but I would've never thought s_h_e would just… _leave _like that. There were so many hints though, and I can't help but feel as though I should've seen this coming.'_

She _had _to write everything down, before she forgot any detail, no matter how small.

After all, it could say the things Azusa couldn't. It could say _everything _the band couldn't say.

'_We haven't tried playing together since our last unsuccessful session. I don't think anyone is quite ready to try again. For the moment, we've decided to leave our instruments in the clubroom, right next to the drums. It also helps make Ritsu-senpai's drums seem less lonely.'_

Little did they know, that would be the very last time they would ever play together.

* * *

><p><em>11<em>_th__ of June_

'_It's been more than three months with no word from Ritsu-senpai._

_Mio-senpai finally lost it today.'_

After school had ended, Azusa had bumped into Yui on the way to the clubroom. Upon reaching the entrance of the clubroom however, they could hear anguished yelling from within. Immediately alarmed, they burst through anxiously, and were greeted by the sight of Mio yelling at the keyboardist—_something about not stopping Ritsu? _

Mugi was curled up on the ground, whimpering as she sobbed.

When Mio realized what she had just done, she broke down as well, horrified and ashamed that she had just lashed out by blaming the innocent keyboardist; despite knowing that Mugi was already struggling to cope. Overwhelmed by guilt and sorrow, the bassist collapsed onto her knees and buried her face in her palms.

Yui had shot the younger guitarist a meaningful look before rushing in to calm Mio down, while Azusa went straight to comforting the sobbing keyboardist. Even though they were a few feet away, Azusa could hear Yui begin to cry as well. The younger guitarist had to blink rapidly, in a weak attempt to suppress her own tears from falling. Swallowing the ball of emotion that was rapidly rising up her throat, Azusa buried her face against Mugi's shoulder, wordlessly stroking the keyboardist's back as she embraced her tightly.

Mugi returned the hug by wrapping her arms around Azusa's waist, softly weeping against the top of the younger guitarist's head.

This continued for a couple of minutes, before Mio crawled towards the keyboardist, tears streaming down her cheeks as she apologized profusely. "_I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry_," Mio hiccupped, "I really didn't mean all that..." She reached out to tentatively touch Mugi's hand, desperately hoping to convey how sincerely remorseful she was.

Her heart tightened at the sight of Mugi involuntarily cringing at the touch.

The bassist recoiled sharply. The blonde noticed this however, and quickly grabbed the Mio's wrist. "No, no, no," Mugi whispered forlornly, "I'm sorry too." At her words, Azusa raised her head from the keyboardist's shoulder to meet Mio's eyes and shoot her a weak smile; before sadly beckoning the bassist over to them.

Out of nowhere, Yui grabbed Mio's other hand and gently led her to approach the other half of the band, loudly sniffing as she did so. The older guitarist then proceeded to hug everyone tightly, effectively pulling them all into a group hug.

The other members reciprocated the embrace instantly. "I miss her," someone choked out. Yui wasn't sure who the voice belonged to, but the words seemed to have triggered something among them. Before they knew it, they were all crying, _really _crying now.

It was the very first time they cried together—Ritsu's departure had been too sudden, too unexpected—no one could really believe nor accept it initially. But now that the empty silences have finally sunk in, Ritsu's painful absence was achingly undeniable.

The broken band spent the rest of the evening sobbing in each other's arms.

* * *

><p><em>20<em>_th__ of September_

'_It has been more than half a year since Ritsu-senpai left._

_She still hasn't contacted any of us, and I think we're starting to doubt she ever would. Mio-senpai has distanced herself from us and buried herself in studying. She stopped visiting the clubroom after school as well.'_

Ever since her last journal entry, the band's meetings had grew less frequent—from weekly, to fortnightly, to monthly. In the beginning, for about a month, Mio would text one of the members, claiming she was busy and wasn't able to make it. When Mio stopped coming altogether, the band wasn't even surprised. Instead, each of them had somewhat expected it, deep down.

'_I guess the clubroom held too many painful reminders of Ritsu-senpai's absence. The atmosphere has never been quite the same ever again—there's always this sense of heaviness lingering among us. I've also started to spend more time with Jun and Ui to take my mind off things.'_

Accepting the fact that Mio would no longer be joining them, the frequency of their meetings became scarcer. Ritsu's absence was painful enough, but having to bear the sight of _two _empty tables among them was a crushing blow. It was getting increasingly hard for Azusa to stomach the heavy atmosphere, and the awkward silences in between their half-hearted conversations were starting to become more uncomfortable.

Soon, the remaining members agreed there was no longer any point in meeting up, since the possibility of playing as a band anytime soon was highly unlikely.

* * *

><p><em>1<em>_st__ of October_

It was her first time stepping into the clubroom for almost a month. Her shoulders sagged as she surveyed the clubroom, suddenly overwhelmed by nostalgia. The pleasant memories of the room just seemed so distant and hazy now; it was difficult to imagine how happy they had been just at the beginning of the year.

Quietly, Azusa moved to sit at the middle of the bench. Her gaze landed on the group of instruments before her, which had left in the exact same position the band had last left them months ago.

Easily locating her guitar, she bent down, tentatively unzipping the case.

This was the first time Azusa had went so long without playing—she had always been one to diligently practice every day, to avoid her fingers from getting stiff. As she familiarized herself with the nostalgic shape and weight of the instrument, she experimented a curious strum of the C chord.

Her fingers had fumbled a little, and took a lot more time than it usually did to settle on the right spots. She flinched at the pitch of the tone that rang out, which was horrendously out of tune.

After fishing for her electronic tuner and tuning her guitar, Azusa attempted to play the riff of Fuwa Fuwa Time's chorus.

... She ended up playing the entire song.

Her movements were hesitant and clumsy, which didn't surprise her. What _did _surprise her was the fact that she could still recall _every single note_, despite the fact that the last time she held her guitar was about seven months ago.

Her expression softened at the sight of Ritsu's set of drums, which had started to collect dust. Before her mind could register her actions, Azusa had carefully returned her guitar back in the case, grabbed a spare rag from the cupboard and started swiping the gathered dust off. With extreme tenderness, as if the instrument was fragile enough to collapse if a mere butterfly were to perch on it, Azusa thoroughly polished every single nook and cranny unnecessarily clean.

Once the guitarist was finally satisfied, she stood up and silently assessed the percussion set. Realizing that it was only a matter of time before it would gather dust again, Azusa decided to rummage through the storage once more to look for some sort of cover.

After a quarter of an hour of sorting out the ridiculously random belongings the band had left in the storeroom, she managed to find a sheet—a quilt to be exact, and judging by the colourful, childish design—could only belong to Yui. She had absolutely no clue why Yui would bring a _quilt_ to school, but the older guitarist always had a nonsensically unpredictable method of doing things, so she shrugged it off.

Making her way back to the instruments, Azusa pulled the sheet over the set of drums. For a split second, the sight of the draped sheet over the percussion set seemed forebodingly dark.

As her gaze focused on the set of drums, Azusa took a step back, hesitantly slinging her guitar case over her shoulder; relinquishing the feel of the instrument against her back as she did so. For some reason, the familiar weight of her instrument triggered a strange sense of security. Exhaling through her teeth, the guitarist surveyed the clubroom longingly for the last time before leaving.

Unbeknownst to Azusa, that was the very last time she would step into the clubroom.

* * *

><p><em>1<em>_st__ of November_

Azusa was expressionless. Her garnet eyes were empty of any emotion as she wrote her shortest entry yet.

'_I handed my club withdrawal form to Mugi-senpai today.'_

* * *

><p><em>7<em>_th__ of November_

Azusa stared at the page, her expression both sorrowful and resigned.

'_This will be my last entry.'_

The guitarist could feel her eyes stinging again and was unable to stop a tear from running own her cheek and landing on the fresh page of the journal. The teardrop had caused the darkened spot to crinkle, smudging the word 'entry' from her previous sentence. Azusa sniffed.

'_It's been seven months, and Ritsu-senpai hasn't contacted any of us yet.'_

Wounded garnet eyes stared at the page lifelessly, her pen trembling as she wrote her very last sentence.

'_Houkago Tea Time,' _she wrote, really crying now, slightly ashamed that she was getting so emotional. Her entire body was trembling so hard that her words were almost illegible. '…_has decided to disband.'_

* * *

><p><strong>The End<strong>

* * *

><p><em>Final AN._

_Decided that the people who're still interested should know how this project was intended to end, so there you go~ And dear god, _this is just so angsty, what was I thinking when I first planned this out OTL__

_Anywho, it's been quite a journey, and the only reason I got this far is because of the lovelies who reviewed, so thank them, not me. I was never one to finish things I start; and I would've probably given up on it halfway if it weren't for you guys. My interests are usually all over the place, and I'm honestly surprised I finished this, actually. So yeah, you peeps rock! :D _

_So for angst lovers, there you go. Initially though, for those who weren't satisfied, there was supposed to be a sequel: a more light-hearted fic which focused on rebuilding relationships and romance, with the dramatic return of an Italianized Ritsu! Unfortunately though, the possibility of that project is highly unlikely now. Yeah… That's it, folks._


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